Hospice patient's heavy metal wish granted

CHILLICOTHE - It wasn't the usual crowd or environment that you'd expect to see at a rock concert Saturday at Westmoreland Place — that would come later in the evening for the Ultimate Ozzy tribute band.

But the special three-song concert's impact on at least one of the nearly two dozen people gathered in the room at the Chillicothe assisted living facility was undeniable.

The band's appearance — minus drums out of consideration for the sound level in the room — was the result of a wish held by National Church Residences hospice client Tim Ott, a 51-year-old with an advanced case of multiple sclerosis who now resides at Westmoreland Place.

"Tim is a big fan of rock music and our hospice chaplain, Billy Morris, reached out to the cover band Ultimate Ozzy to see if they would help make Tim's dream of attending a concert again (happen)," said Becky Mettler, hospice volunteer coordinator for National Church Residences Home & Community Services. "His health keeps him from being able to get anywhere anymore. The band graciously responded and stated they would come to the facility to put on a concert for Tim."

Ott has been in hospice care since late 2015, and the staff at Westmoreland place at an earlier period during his stay had arranged to take him to Ohio University Chillicothe to watch a Kiss tribute band perform. It's no longer possible, however, to get him into a large, live concert environment.

Band frontman Dale Grubb, who assumes the Ozzy Osbourne persona, said the group often gets requests like this and was happy to make an appearance at Westmoreland Place mere hours before putting on a full performance at Metal Bash taking place at the Amvets post on East Main Street. 

Morris, who knows a couple members of the band, said they would have liked to have been able to get Ott to the Amvets concert, but that it just wasn't possible. The fact the entire band showed up, he said, speaks to the quality of its members.

"At first, I was just asking Dale to come as Ozzy just to meet him," Morris said. "Then the band was like, 'No, we'll all do it.' They've all got such good hearts ... they're great people."

Ott didn't have much to say prior to the concert, nodding when asked if he was looking forward to the performance. During the act, he received to a round of laughter a rubber bat from Grubb — a reference to the real Osbourne biting the head off a bat during a concert in 1982.

Ott's family members who were in attendance said he grew up loving rock music, particularly heavy metal.

"(The concert) meant a lot to him," said Ott's sister-in-law, Susie. "He doesn't have much expression anymore, but you can tell. It was awesome, I'm so happy for him."

Mettler said this ended up being the first local example of National Church Residences' new Share the Love campaign, which will look to help grant similar wishes of patients at a variety of facilities and some home-based clients that NCR's hospice program services.