After years of health struggles and uncertainty, Ozzy Osbourne is preparing to take the stage one last time. Despite that his final performance at the Back To The Beginning concert on July 5 at Villa Park in Birmingham, UK was initially described to include a solo set by Ozzy and a Black Sabbath set, we now know that the legendary frontman has confirmed that he will join Black Sabbath for select moments of their show.
This special event will mark the first time in 20 years that Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward have played together, making it a historic night for heavy metal fans.
Osbourne won’t perform a full set with Black Sabbath, as he declared on his SiriusXM show Ozzy Speaks: “I’m not planning on doing a set with Black Sabbath but I am doing little bits and pieces with them. I am doing what I can, where I feel comfortable.”
The 76-year-old rock legend, who revealed in 2020 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, acknowledged the difficulties of preparing for such a major performance but remains determined. “I am trying to get back on my feet,” he said. “When you get up in the morning, you just jump out of bed. I have to balance myself, but I’m not dead. I’m still actively doing things.”
His wife and longtime manager, Sharon Osbourne, has been open about his struggles, explaining to The Sun that while the disease has affected his mobility, his voice remains as strong as ever. “Ozzy’s very happy to be coming back and very emotional about this,” she said. “Parkinson’s is a progressive disease. It’s not something you can stabilize. It affects different parts of the body and it’s affected his legs. But his voice is as good as it’s ever been.”
Osbourne himself reflected on his condition in more detail during his SiriusXM show. “I have made it to 2025. I can’t walk, but you know what I was thinking over the holidays? For all my complaining, I’m still alive. I may be moaning that I can’t walk but I look down the road and there’s people that didn’t do half as much as me and didn’t make it.”
The farewell concert – which will mark the first time in 20 years that Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward have played together — will also feature an all-star lineup of metal bands inspired by them, including Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Gojira, Halestorm, Alice In Chains, Lamb Of God, Anthrax, and Mastodon. It’s set to be a night of celebration and reflection, honoring the band’s impact on heavy metal and giving fans one final chance to see Osbourne on stage.
According to Sharon Osbourne, this will truly be her husband’s last live performance. “He’s doing great. He’s doing really great. He’s so excited about this, about being with the guys again and all his friends. It’s exciting for everyone,” she told BBC News. However, she confirmed that after this show, Osbourne will not be performing again. “Ozzy didn’t have a chance to say goodbye to his friends, to his fans, and he feels there’s been no full stop,” she said. “This is his full stop.”
Undoubtedly, the hundreds of fans, who either scrambled — like super-fan Alex Woodford who according to BBC was willing to spend £2,000 to get himself and his brother to the show, and ended up being the 66,000th in the virtual ticket queue and walked out empty-handed — or paid astronomic prices when the event tickets went on sale this past Friday, are not feeling too elated right now.
