Ozzy Osbourne Set For Swansong At Black Sabbath Hometown Gig
Millions are also expected to follow online after fans snapped up tickets for the show, starring the original line-up, in just 16 minutes.
Osbourne, 76, who revealed in 2020 that he has Parkinson's disease, will join Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward for the all-day "Back To The Beginning" show in Birmingham, central England, where the heavy metal giants formed in 1968.
The gig at Aston Villa Football Club's Villa Park stadium will also feature sets by US rockers Metallica, Guns N'Roses, Tool and Slayer among others, as well as a short solo set by Osbourne.
Around 40,000 fans are expected to watch the original line-up's first show together in 20 years and Osbourne's swansong.
The show comes as 1990s Britpop band Oasis play in Cardiff in the second of two concerts as part of another highly anticipated reunion.
"Birmingham is a city which means so much to Ozzy. When it comes to heavy metal music, Black Sabbath forming and his love of Aston Villa -- it all started here," his wife Sharon said in comments released by West Midlands Growth Company (WMGC), the region's investment and promotion body.
Black Sabbath have sold over 75 million albums worldwide and are widely recognised as one of the pioneers of heavy metal.
All profits from the show will go to charities including Cure Parkinson's and Birmingham Children's Hospital.
Osbourne's diagnosis led to him pausing touring. But Sharon told the BBC the Villa Park gig would be his last. "This is his full stop," she was quoted as saying.
Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, musical director for the concert, said he plans "to make it the greatest day, the most important day in the history of heavy metal music".
The Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan, who will also perform, added that "this might be the greatest one-day lineup in the history of rock 'n' roll".
The show is expected to deliver the area a multi-million pound boost, with hotel occupancy in Birmingham city centre expected to surge close to 90 percent, according to WMGC.
"The eyes of the world will be on Birmingham," said John Cotton, leader of the city council. "There is always such a special atmosphere in the city on major event days."
Osbourne's live performances at the height of his hedonism have gone down in rock folklore, particularly a 1982 gig in Des Moines, Iowa, when he bit the head of a bat on stage.
Osbourne says he thought a fan had thrown a fake rubber bat onstage, and it wasn't until he took a bite that he realised it was real.
"I can assure you the rabies shots I went through afterwards aren't fun," he told US TV host David Letterman in 1982.
But there are unlikely to be any repeat performances on Saturday, with the rocker mellowing in his old age.
To coincide with the concert, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery is hosting an exhibition in honour of the city's famous son, displaying his awards, memorabilia and photographs.
The local police force also got in the mood, naming a litter of new puppies Ozzy, Toni, Geezer and Billie.
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DW
3 days ago
- DW
Ozzy Osbourne fans in Birmingham honor heavy metal star – DW – 07/30/2025
Thousands of fans lined the streets of Birmingham to say farewell to Ozzy Osbourne. The "Prince of Darkness" died just weeks after his final gig. Thousands of people gathered in the UK city of Birmingham on Wednesday to honor the "Prince of Darkness" and Black Sabbath frontman. The hearse carrying Ozzy Osbourne made its way through the crowd-lined streets of the city where he grew up and where Black Sabbath was formed in 1968. Osbourne died at the age of 76 on July 22, just weeks after a final gig to a sold-out crowd. He had been in poor health, having been diagnosed with Parkinson's a few years earlier. Osbourne once said he wanted his funeral to be a celebration and not a "mope-fest." Today was a mix of sadness and celebration, as crowds chanted "Ozzy, Ozzy, Ozzy, oi, oi, oi." A 16-year-old fan, Fan Reece Sargeant the the AFP news agency, "I think it was important to come and pay our respects.... Ozzy and Black Sabbath really put Birmingham on the map." Long-time fan Antony Hunt said it has been an "emotional" day." "What's amazing is there's so many, such a wide variety of age groups, from little, little children, teenagers to people in their 60s, 70s, so it's great to see that," he said. Birmingham Mayor Zafar Iqbal praised Osbourne as a "son of Birmingham" and "more than a music legend." Graham Croucher, a 58-year-old train driver, said Osbourne was an "absolute legend" and "was the soundtrack particularly to my life growing up." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Osbourne's hearse, topped with flower arrangements, made its way through the city's streets. Led by a live brass band, the procession went past his childhood home in the city's Aston area, down Broad Street and to the Black Sabbath bench. The art installation was unveiled in 2019 and sits on a bridge also named after the band. Osbourne's wife, Sharon, and children, Kelly, Jack, Louis, and Aimee, followed in vehicles behind. The family was visibly emotional as they got out on the bridge to lay flowers and read some of the tributes left by fans. The procession led by police motorcycles then continued its journey to a private funeral service. Black Sabbath is widely credited for popularizing the sound of heavy metal, and Osbourne was known for his legendary antics both on and off stage. Black Sabbath had huge commercial success in the 1970s and 80s, going on to sell more than 75 million albums worldwide. In June, Ozzy and his Back Sabbath bandmates Terence Butler, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward were awarded the Freedom of the City in recognition of their services to the city of Birmingham. They played their final farewell show in early July to 42,000 fans in Birmingham, with the Prince of Darkness on a black throne.
Int'l Business Times
3 days ago
- Int'l Business Times
Thousands Honour Ozzy Osbourne At UK Hometown Funeral Procession
Thousands lined the streets of UK city Birmingham on Wednesday to pay an emotional farewell to hometown hero Ozzy Osbourne as the heavy metal hellraiser was laid to rest. Black Sabbath frontman Osbourne, who earned the nicknamed the "Prince of Darkness" and once bit a bat while on stage, died on July 22 at the age of 76. He had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2019 and died 17 days after playing a final gig to a sold-out crowd in Birmingham. Osbourne's funeral procession set off at around 1200 GMT on a route planned with the rocker's family through the English city. Chants of "Ozzy! Ozzy! Ozzy!" could be heard, with one fan crying out "we love you Ozzy!" as his coffin -- sitting in a stately black Jaguar hearse topped with flower arrangements -- and other vehicles crawled by. The procession, which earlier passed the star's childhood home in the city's Aston area, was accompanied by a live brass band performance by local musicians from Bostin' Brass. Fan Reece Sargeant came with friends to say goodbye. "I think it was important to come and pay our respects.... Ozzy and Black Sabbath really put Birmingham on the map," he said. The 16-year-old told AFP the band's last concert had been "out of this world". Osbourne famously once said he wanted his funeral to be a celebration of his life and not a "mope-fest". The procession paused at the Black Sabbath bench -- an art installation featuring headshots of each member on a bridge also named after the band. Visibly emotional family members including his widow Sharon Osbourne laid flowers at the bench and read some of the written tributes that have been left there along with balloons and flowers. Thousands of fans have gathered at the bridge in recent days, mourning the death of the musician who was instrumental in pioneering heavy metal. The cortege, led by police motorbikes, then continued its slow journey towards a private funeral service. "Ozzy was more than a music legend - he was a son of Birmingham," Zafar Iqbal, the lord mayor of the central English city, said in a statement. "It was important to the city that we support a fitting, dignified tribute ahead of a private family funeral. "We're proud to host it here with his loving family in the place where it all began," Iqbal, who could be seen hugging family members when the procession stopped in central Birmingham, added. Black Sabbath enjoyed huge commercial success in the 1970s and 80s after forming in Birmingham in 1968. Their eponymous 1970 debut album made the UK top 10 and paved the way for a string of hit records, including their most famous song "Paranoid". The group went on to sell more than 75 million albums worldwide and were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. Osbourne was added for a second time last year as a solo artist. Osbourne gained notoriety for his outlandish stunts, many fuelled by his legendary indulgence in drugs and alcohol. In 1989, he was arrested for drunkenly trying to strangle his wife Sharon, which he once mentioned in a 2007 interview. His live performances at the height of his hedonism have gone down in rock folklore, particularly the 1982 gig in the US city of Des Moines when he bit a bat on stage. Osbourne said he thought a fan had thrown a rubber bat onstage, and it was not until he took a bite that he realised it was real. Family members including widow Sharon Osbourne laid flowers and read fans' tributes AFP The hearse travelled over Black Sabbath bridge where thousands of fans have left tributes since the heavy metal legend died on July 22 AFP The group sold more than 75 million albums and were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2006 AFP
DW
23-07-2025
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Ozzy Osbourne dies at 76 – DW – 07/23/2025
Heavy metal pioneer Ozzy Osbourne has died at the age of 76 after fighting Parkinson's disease. His records as a member of Black Sabbath and as a solo artist sold over 100 million copies. John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne, the frontman of English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 76. Nicknamed the "Prince of Darkness" and the "Godfather of Heavy Metal," Osbourne is largely credited with founding the heavy metal genre. Though he parted ways with Black Sabbath in 1979 over his drug and alcohol addictions, he rejoined the band several times, including for a farewell live performance last month.
