Ozzy Osbourne starts Black Sabbath rehearsals for farewell gig
Black Sabbath have started rehearsing for their farewell gig.
The Paranoid rockers' original lineup - made up of Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward - are reuniting for the last time at the Back To The Beginning show at Birmingham's Villa Park on July 5.
The group took to X on Tuesday (24.06.25) to share a photo of Ozzy, Geezer and Bill, and revealed: "Rehearsals are underway for Back To The Beginning: Ozzy's Final Bow."
The three men are smiling in the snap, while Ozzy - who has been open about his health struggles in recent years - is holding a cane as they sit backstage.
Tony wasn't in the photo, but he's still set to be part of the historic show.
The gig will mark the first time that Black Sabbath's original line-up will have played together for 20 years but Ozzy insists that it will be the definitive end for the Paranoid rockers.
The heavy metal icon, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2019, told Mojo magazine: "After this show, I'm going home, closing the door and will look back upon the great career I've had.
"But I'm done, done, done! You gotta know when to call it quits."
The War Pigs singer confessed that he would be feeling anxious even if was just a "regular gig".
He added: "Even if it was a regular gig, I would be a nervous wreck. I was born nervous.
"Right now, I'm feeling grateful and proud and I'm sure I'll be feeling dozens more emotions on the day of the show."
The lineup will alsoi feature the likes of Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Gojira, Halestorm, Alice In Chains, and Lamb of God.
Guitarist Tony admitted there are "so many other moving parts" to the upcoming spectacle.
He told Music Week: "This would be a big, monumental thing if it all comes good. The worrying thing for me is the unknown.
"We don't know what's going to happen. Normally, when we'd tour, we'd rehearse and run through the thing for a while, and it's just us. But with this event there are so many other moving parts."
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15 Greatest Black Sabbath Songs, Across Decades And Members
Black Sabbath, 1970: Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, Bill Ward and Ozzy Osbourne The godfathers of heavy metal, Black Sabbath, are one of the most timeless bands in contemporary music. To varying degrees, just about every metal fan shares an adoration for Black Sabbath and the masterful records they've produced throughout their career. While Black Sabbath went through multiple different sonic eras and lineup changes, the band's most revered period featured the four original members, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, drummer Bill Ward and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. From landmark albums like Paranoid to pivotal metal records like Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, Black Sabbath's original lineup produced the vast majority of the band's greatest songs and albums during the early to mid-1970s. Of course, there are other beloved eras of the band, particularly the Ronnie James Dio-fronted era in the early '80s and early '90s. However, there's practically a unanimous belief amongst Sabbath fans that the original lineup was the definitive version of the band, as they've had the most profound impact on the shape and sound of metal music as we know it today. Top Black Sabbath Songs While there's not much debate regarding which lineup of Black Sabbath is best, discourse around what Sabbath albums and what songs are 'the best' is far more nuanced. In total there are 19 studio albums that've been released by Black Sabbath. Eight of these records feature the original four members, and the other 11 albums feature a mix of different members and lead vocalists. With that said, the sweet spot for Sabbath's best work is between their 1970 debut and their sixth studio album from 1975. These six LPs produced the band's greatest and most influential work, and they're the primary driving force behind the band's longstanding global success. That's not to say that Black Sabbath has masterful records and songs outside of this period. Most of the Ronnie James Dio era records are superb, and his 1980 debut with Black Sabbath Heaven and Hell, is still a quintessential metal masterpiece. However, the 1970s era of Black Sabbath saw the band's most robust and consistent musical output, on top of it being their most influential work. Few Black Sabbath songs radiate with the same monolithic groovy riffs that are heard in 'Supernaut.' Of course, incredible riffs and sensational grooves are always bountiful whenever Sabbath is playing, but the riffs on Vol. 4, and especially 'Supernaut' are in a league of their own. Furthermore, the song's lyrical themes of self-discovery and transcendence compliment the driving instrumentals and straightforward song structure. Between the song's sludgy main riff to the uptempo bridge section, 'A National Acrobat' brilliantly showcases Black Sabbath's dynamic songwriting capabilities. Bassist Geezer Butler is the star of the show on this track from just how present and powerful his bass cuts through the mix. For these reasons, 'A National Acrobat' has long been considered a quintessential Sabbath tune, in addition to being a defining Geezer Butler track. While Black Sabbath are well known for their incredible musicianship and instrumental songwriting, 'Children of the Grave' puts on full display their timeless lyrical writing. The song paints a terrifying future of what many feared at the time, and what today is no less of a concern – nuclear war. Metal music is well known for diving into topics around war and world annihilation, but 'Children of the Grave' was one of the first heavy metal anthems to drill this dreadful and startling reality. With Black Sabbath's debut LP they took the world by storm with their foreboding riffs and groovy heavy metal songwriting. On the band's follow up LP, Paranoid, they not only double downed on these qualities, but they also showcased their knack for writing slow paced melancholic songs, as demonstrated with 'Planet Caravan.' Being the third track on the album and following haymaker riffs like that in "War Pigs" and "Paranoid," 'Planet Caravan' was a bold switch up for the band. Despite its cleaner presentation, 'Planet Caravan' still stands as one of the defining Black Sabbath songs. Marijuana has been huge part of Black Sabbath's sonic identity especially on their earlier albums like Master of Reality. Whether it's from the fully fuzzed and drawn out guitar riffs they embrace, or their candid lyrics expressing their affinity for the 'Sweet Leaf,' Black Sabbath hasn't been shy when it comes to the subject of drugs. Regardless of the subject matter, 'Sweet Leaf' is a significant track in the band's discography as well as in the vast metal genre, as it single handedly started the stoner metal sub-genre. Having one of the most iconic guitar riffs of all time, "Iron Man" certainly helped propel Black Sabbath into becoming the world renown metal band that they are today. Although some may argue the song has lost a bit of its charm due to its over-popularity, many forget the brilliance of 'Iron Man' isn't just from it's main riff – a riff that's been beaten to death by hordes of aspiring guitarists. Rather, the myriad of riffs found throughout Iron Man's six minute runtime are what make it so iconic, not to mention the incredible guitar work found in the song's bridge section. The earth shattering power that comes from 'Snowblind's' opening riff serves as a great unintended metaphor for the unyielding control cocaine puts on one's mind. 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This is one of the first instances in rock and metal music that showcased a lower tuning and the additional heaviness it can add if paired with the proper riff, and of course, 'Into the Void' is one of those riffs. 'N.I.B. (Nativity In Black),' the track off Black Sabbath's debut self-titled LP, is the defining Geezer Butler track. The bass intro has cemented itself among some of the most iconic bass lines in rock music, and it's a short glimpse of the incredible musicianship that Butler posses and that's so often overlooked when it comes to Black Sabbath's brilliance. In fact, not only was Butler the backbone of the band with his solid bass playing, but he served as one of the main lyricists for many of Black Sabbath's biggest hits. While there are a litany of Dio era Black Sabbath songs that are worth checking out, the one Dio-era track that all Sabbath and metal fans should be required to know is "Heaven and Hell." 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These are all of Black Sabbath's 19 studio albums ordered from oldest to most recent: Black Sabbath (1970) Paranoid (1970) Master of Reality (1971) Vol. 4 (1972) Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973) Sabotage (1975) Technical Ecstasy (1976) Never Say Die! (1978) Heaven and Hell (1980) Mob Rules (1981) Born Again (1983) Seventh Star (1986) The Eternal Idol (1987) Headless Cross (1989) Tyr (1990) Dehumanizer (1992) Cross Purposes (1994) Forbidden (1995) 13 (2013) What Are Black Sabbath's Best Albums? The general consensus regarding Black Sabbath's best studio albums is that their work between 1970 to 1975 is their most beloved material. This period featured the band's original and most consistent lineup with Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward. However, there are albums beyond this period, particularly the records with Ronnie James Dio, that are also favored amongst the fanbase as well. Below are the band's best albums ranked: 10. Born Again (1983) 9. Dehumanizer (1992) 8. Mob Rules (1981) 7. Heaven and Hell (1980) 6. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973) 5. Black Sabbath (1970) 4. Sabotage (1975) 3. Master of Reality (1971) 2. Vol. 4 (1972) 1. Paranoid (1970) Every Black Sabbath Band Member The founding members of Black Sabbath who were also the most consistent lineup throughout the band's career were guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, drummer Bill Ward and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. Following Ozzy Osbourne's departure in 1979, Black Sabbath's lineup would never have the same consistency it once had for the better part of 20 years. Between vocalists and instrumentalists, the band went through a revolving door of musicians during the early '80s and up until the late '90s when the founding members eventually reunited. However, throughout the band's existence, guitarist and primary songwriter Tony Iommi has been the only founding member to stick with the band since 1968. Listed below are all former and founding members of Black Sabbath that've contributed to at least one or more of the band's studio albums (not including demos or unreleased material): Black Sabbath's Original Lineup Tony Iommi (guitar) 1968-2025 Geezer Butler (bass) 1968-1984, 1987, 1990-1994, 1997-2025 Bill Ward (drums) 1968-1980, 1982-1983, 1984, 1994, 1997-1998, 2004-2006, 2025 Ozzy Osbourne (vocals) 1968-1977, 1978-1979, 1997-2006, 2011-2025 Black Sabbath Vocalists Ronnie James Dio 1979-1982, 1991-1992 Ian Gillian 1982-1984 Glenn Hughes 1985-1986 Tony Martin 1987-1991, 1992-1997 Black Sabbath Drummers Vinny Appice 1980-1982, 1991-1992, 1998 Eric Singer 1985-1987 Cozy Powell 1988-1991, 1994-1995 Bobby Rondinelli 1993-1994, 1995-1997 Black Sabbath Bassists Dave Spitz 1985-1986, 1987 Neil Murray 1988-1990, 1994-1997 Black Sabbath Keyboardists Geoff Nicholls 1979-1997, 1998-2004 Best Black Sabbath Lead Singers, Ranked The number of lead vocalists Black Sabbath has had throughout the last 50-plus years is staggering. 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Similarly, the Black Sabbath records with Tony Martin on vocals don't sound anything like the Osbourne or Dio eras either, and the same can be said for the Glenn Hughes and Ian Gillian LPs. Below is the ranking of all the Black Sabbath vocalists from least to most favored: 5. Tony Martin (1987-1991, 1992-1997) 4. Glenn Hughes (1985-1986) 3. Ian Gillan (1982-1984) 2. Ronnie James Dio (1979-82, 1991-92) 1. Ozzy Osbourne (1968-1977, 1978-79, 1985, 1997-2006, 2011-present)
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Heavy metal legends Black Sabbath have made a surprise visit to Birmingham today ahead of their final ever UK tour. Fans gushed "welcome home" as Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Bill Ward and Geezer Butler were spotted signing a new mural to their band near New Street railway station. Each one signed their names on their black and white portraits, which form part of Mr Mural's impressive 36m piece, this afternoon, Saturday, June 28. Read more: Two seriously injured as violence breaks out in 'targeted' incident The Prince of Darkness himself was inundated with welcome messages when he shared news of the visit with his 5.4m followers on X, formerly Twitter. He said "went to see and sign the Black Sabbath mural today" as he posted a photo of him in the act. One fan wrote: "Oh my heart Ozzy saw you years ago in Birmingham welcome home bab." While another said: "July 5th is quickly approaching! Enjoy the day, Ozzy!" Co-founder of the band, Iommi, also shared news of the trip as he praised the creative artwork. Posting photos of the four bandmates posed up in front of the wall, he said: "Hasn't Mr Murals been busy! "Very flattered to be honoured in such a creative way, thank you Birmingham! Find the Black Sabbath mural on Navigation Street near Birmingham New Street train station." The stunning piece runs the length of the wall in Navigation Street outside the rail hub. Talented artist Mr Murals said it was a "tribute to the creative spirit of Birmingham", as well as to the founding fathers of heavy metal. The band's visit to the mural comes just a week ahead of one of Birmingham's biggest gigs in history. Ozzy Osbourne and his bandmates will perform their final ever gig at Villa Park Stadium in a major UK tour on Saturday, July 5.
