Heartbroken Magic & Cookie Johnson Bid A Tearful Goodbye to 40-Year Bond After Tragic Loss

“I can’t thank this man enough for continuing to support my event,” Jeffrey Osborne wrote on Instagram in 2016 after Magic Johnson attended his ‘Jeffrey Osborne Celebrity Classic’ softball game and golf tournament. The proceeds went to the Carnegie Abbey Club in Portsmouth to support initiatives related to music and arts in public schools. The funds would also help the local charities and having a name like Johnson associated with it only made it more successful. They have supported each other for decades and their wives, Sheri Osborne and Cookie Johnson, were close friends too.

In September 2016, both couples went to Monaco together to celebrate Magic and Cookie’s 25 years of marriage. They partied on a huge yacht along with other celebrities like Samuel L. Jackson, Steve Harvey, LL Cool J, Smokey Robinson, Tina Knowles, and many others. Throughout the years, they have popped up on each other’s Instagram feeds where they only have good things to say, but now the Osborne family is in need of their emotional support.

Sheri Osborne, Jeffrey’s wife of 42 years, passed away last week. While the family is yet to release a statement, the Johnsons have come forward to share their condolences. In an Instagram post by Magic and Cookie Johnson, they wrote: “Last week Cookie and I lost a dear friend, Sheri Osborne, who was really family to us. She was an amazing wife of 42 years, a mother, grandmother, and all-around beautiful person inside and out. We shared so many life-changing moments including traveling together across the world throughout our 40-year friendship – from the best of times to the toughest of times, Sheri and Jeffrey were always there for Cookie and me. When Cookie moved to Los Angeles, Sheri helped her get adjusted to Los Angeles and supported her journey to becoming a wife and mother. She was someone that you could count on through thick and thin.

“Sheri was smart and driven and many don’t know she managed her husband Jeffrey’s musical career. Sheri was a big part of our 2022 Lakers Showtime reunion success by making sure Jeffrey and the band made it to Hawaii to give us an unforgettable performance. Because of her love for the Lakers, she and I spent a lot of time talking about the team. Both she and Jeffrey were part of my five Laker Championships with Jeffrey singing the National Anthem for all of them!

“Sheri had such a giving spirit and worked at a local high school for many years giving her time to help young people meet their goals and dreams. Sheri will be sincerely missed. Cookie and I continue to pray for our brother Jeffrey, their children Tiffany, Dawn, Jeanine and son Jeffrey Jr. and all family and friends who loved Sheri dearly!”  Along with the lengthy caption, the Johnsons posted a carousel of images of their previous vacations with the Osbornes.

 

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Jeffrey Osborne and Sheri had been married since 1983 and they have four children together: Daughters Tiffany Nicole, Dawn, and Jeanine Osborne, and son Jeffrey Jr.

Will Jeffrey Osborne continue his tours?

It was only March 8 when Jeffrey Osborne was in the Orleans Showroom in Las Vegas where he took to the stage to perform some of his biggest hits.  The musician began his professional career in 1969 with the band ‘Love Men Ltd’. Some of their best work is ‘Love Ballad’, ‘Shine On’ and ‘Holding On (When the Love is Gone)’. But his solo career was just as big with him, named in four Grammy nominations and five RIAA-certified Gold and Platinum albums.