After decades of defying the odds and outlasting expectations, Ozzy Osbourne is preparing to say goodbye. The metal icon will take the stage for one final time this summer — and he’s bringing the original Black Sabbath lineup with him for a historic farewell in their hometown.
The 75-year-old frontman, who has faced a long list of health challenges in recent years, isn’t making any promises about the performance. But he is showing up.
“I’ll be there, and I’ll do the best I can. So all I can do is turn up,” he told The Guardian. It’s a line that captures both the grit and humility behind the Prince of Darkness’s final bow.
Osbourne hasn’t performed a full live show since 2018. Since then, he’s endured spinal surgeries, a Parkinson’s diagnosis, and complications from blood clots. The path back to the stage has been grueling.
“You wake up the next morning and find that something else has gone wrong. You begin to think this is never going to end,” he admitted.
The idea for the farewell came from his wife and longtime manager, Sharon Osbourne, who hoped it might give him something to work toward. “Something to give me a reason to get up in the morning,” he said. And his preparation has been anything but casual.
“I do weights, bike riding, I’ve got a guy living at my house who’s working with me. It’s tough — I’ve been laid up for such a long time. I’ve been lying on my back doing nothing, and the first thing to go is your strength. It’s like starting all over again. I’ve got a vocal coach coming round four days a week to keep my voice going. I have problems walking. I also get blood pressure issues, from blood clots on my legs.”
Even with the challenges, Osbourne is realistic about his stage presence: “I’m used to doing two hours on stage, jumping and running around. I don’t think I’ll be doing much jumping or running around this time. I may be sitting down.”
Fans hoping for a full Ozzy Osbourne set should temper expectations. The show’s format is designed to offer glimpses rather than full performances from its headliners.
“We’re only playing a couple of songs each. I don’t want people thinking ‘we’re getting ripped off’, because it’s just going to be … what’s the word? … a sample, you’re going to get a few songs each by Ozzy and Sabbath.”
Still, those few songs may carry enormous emotional weight. According to Sammy Hagar, who’s also on the bill that day, Osbourne is planning to perform five solo tracks — among them the 1991 ballad “No More Tears”.
Hagar shared during an interview with Loudwire Nights that the information came from Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine, who is serving as musical director for the event.
“I chose to do ‘No More Tears’ [during my set that day] and Tom goes, ‘Oh, that would be great,’” Hagar recalled. “And then he comes back and says, ‘Guess what? Ozzy’s going to try and sing five songs and he wants to sing ‘No More Tears’.”
After some quick reshuffling, Hagar says he’ll now cover “Flying High Again” from Osbourne’s 1981 album Diary Of A Madman — unless Ozzy changes his mind again.
“So right now, I’m singing ‘Flying High Again’. If Ozzy changes his mind, I’ll sing ‘Flying High Again’ and ‘No More Tears’,” Haggar added.
Set for July 5 at Villa Park in Birmingham, Back To The Beginning will reunite Black Sabbath’s founding members for the first time in two decades. The event will also feature a stacked roster of artists shaped by their legacy, including Metallica, Slayer, Lamb Of God, Mastodon, Pantera, and Anthrax.
For Osbourne, the performance won’t be about the spectacle. It will be about showing up, doing what he can, and closing the chapter on his own terms.
