Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath play last-ever show in England
The original line-up of Osbourne's band Black Sabbath performed at Villa Park soccer stadium in their home city of Birmingham, central England, on Saturday.
The 76-year-old singer, who has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, sang from a black throne that rose up from under the stage.
"Let the madness begin!" he urged as he took the stage, and later paid tribute to fans.
"I don't know what to say, man, I've been laid up for like six years. You have no idea how I feel — thank you from the bottom of my heart," Osbourne said. "You're all … special. Let's go crazy, come on."
Osbourne performed several songs solo before being joined onstage, for the first time in 20 years, by Black Sabbath band mates Tony Iommi, Terence "Geezer" Butler and Bill Ward. The band ended a short set with Paranoid, one of their most famous songs.
It capped a day-long metal festival that included performances from the likes of Anthrax, Metallica and Guns N' Roses.
Fans around the world were able to join in on the celebration via a live stream that beamed the show into the homes of metalheads far and wide.
Early in the day, bands were given such short sets that they could play just one or two original songs, followed by a cover of an Ozzy Osbourne or Black Sabbath classic.
Among a cavalcade of highlights and guest appearances was a performance from a supergroup made up of heavy rock royalty including Billy Corgan, Sammy Hagar, Steven Tyler, Adam Jones, Vernon Reid, Tom Morello, Nuno Bettencourt, and a drum off between blink-182's Travis Barker, Red Hot Chili Peppers's Chad Smith, and Tool's Danny Carey.
Artists who sent plaudits and well-wishes via video tributes included Jack Black, Dolly Parton, AC/DC, Cyndi Lauper, and Elton John.
Actor Jason Momoa hosted the show, and didn't let that commitment stop him from getting amongst the action, jumping into the mosh pit at one stage to get the crowd riled up.
Osbourne formed Black Sabbath in 1968 in Birmingham, a city then known for its heavy industry that became the crucible of the British metal scene.
Black Sabbath's devil imagery and thunderous sound made them one of the era's most influential — and parent-scaring — metal acts. Both the band and Osbourne as a solo artist have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Osbourne's fame expanded into the mainstream in the early 2000s when he joined his wife Sharon Osbourne, and two of their children, in the MTV reality TV show The Osbournes.
He has struggled with health issues since 2003 following a near-fatal quad bike crash. He revealed his Parkinson's in 2020 and paused touring in 2023 after spinal surgery.
- AP/ABC
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