Ozzy Osbourne bids farewell in emotional final show with Black Sabbath: ‘It's the last song ever'

Mint

2 days ago

Ozzy Osbourne returned to the place where heavy metal was born to perform his final show with Black Sabbath. On Saturday (July 5), the 76-year-old rocker took the stage at Villa Park Stadium in Birmingham, England, where the band formed in 1968, for the sold-out 'Back to the Beginning' farewell concert.
The event drew a crowd of 42,000 fans and featured a lineup of rock legends including Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Slayer, Pantera, and Alice in Chains.
For the first time in two decades, the original Black Sabbath members—Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Bill Ward, and Geezer Butler—performed together.
After Metallica's set, Osbourne came out for a solo five-song performance before reuniting with his bandmates for four classic Sabbath songs.
'Are you ready?' Osbourne called out to the crowd as he took his place on a bat-themed throne decorated with skulls. 'Let the madness begin!'
Seated in a black leather chair due to health challenges, Osbourne performed with visible joy. Despite living with Parkinson's disease, he pumped up the crowd.
'It's the last song ever,' he told fans after closing with 'Crazy Train.' 'Your support has enabled us to live an amazing lifestyle, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. I love you.'
The concert was hosted by 'Aquaman' star Jason Momoa and raised money for three charities: Cure Parkinson's, Birmingham Children's Hospital, and Acorn Children's Hospice.
After the final notes rang out, Osbourne was presented with a cake as fireworks exploded above the stadium.
His wife, Sharon Osbourne, previously explained why this final concert mattered so much to him: 'Ozzy didn't have a chance to say goodbye to his friends, to his fans, and he feels there's been no full stop. This is his full stop.'
Black Sabbath formed in 1968 and went on to pioneer the heavy metal genre. Ozzy's departure from touring was announced last year due to his health struggles.
In November 2023, he acknowledged he has 'at best 10 years left' to live, but Saturday's farewell was a celebration of decades of music and a final thank you to generations of fans.
As the fireworks faded over Villa Park, the Prince of Darkness left the stage with gratitude and a fitting final bow.