Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne perform final concert in Birmingham: A heavy metal farewell by the founding fathers
Ozzy Osbourne
, the founding fathers of heavy metal, bid farewell to their rock fans, performing their last gig ever. As the fireworks burst over Birmingham, they were joined by the legendary bands in front of 40,000 fans.
Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne bid goodbye...
According to the BBC, Ozzy 'Prince of Darkness' Osbourne sang while he sat on his black throne, which had a bat figure as the head of the chair. The singer, who has Parkinson's disease, was clapping, waving his arms and pulling wild-eyed looks. For the first time in two decades, the entire Sabbath lineup joined Osbourne, where he even got emotional and told the crowd at Villa Park, 'You have no idea how I feel. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
'
The farewell is not just about the event, but the 'Summer of Sabbath' has been declared for the entire season. Black Sabbath were joined by their fellow rock legends, including Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Slayer, the Rolling Stones' Ronnie Wood and Aerosmith's Steven Tyler.
The concert started with Ozzy's grand entrance, where he wore a black leather jacket and gold armband, and sang his 5 solo songs. He was joined by the other members of Black Sabbath; however, due to Parkinson's disease and age, Ozzy performed the set while sitting down on his throne.
The special performances and appearances
Other band members paid their homage to the inventors of metal. 'Without Sabbath, there would be no Metallica. Thank you for giving us a purpose in life,' the frontman
James Hetfield
said to the crowd. Guns N' Roses' frontman Axl Rose ended his cover set of 1978's song 'Never Say Die' with 'Birmingham! Ozzy! Sabbath! Thank you!"
The event included a titanic battle of three drummers, and a special appearance by
Jason Momoa
, along with a video message from Jack Black, Dolly Parton and Billy Idol. The tickets were priced from £200 to £2,000, and the profits were shared between Cure Parkinson's, Birmingham Children's Hospital and Acorn Children's Hospice.
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The Hindu
17 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Ozzy Osbourne, godfather of heavy metal who led Black Sabbath, dies at 76
Ozzy Osbourne, the gloomy, demon-invoking lead singer of the pioneering band Black Sabbath who became the throaty, growling voice — and drug-and-alcohol ravaged id — of heavy metal, died on Tuesday (July 22, 2025), just weeks after his farewell show. He was 76. Either clad in black or bare-chested, the singer was often the target of parents' groups for his imagery and once caused an uproar for biting the head off a bat. Later, he would reveal himself to be a doddering and sweet father on the reality TV show 'The Osbournes.' Black Sabbath's 1969 self-titled debut LP has been likened to the Big Bang of heavy metal. It came during the height of the Vietnam War and crashed the hippie party, dripping menace and foreboding. The band's second album, 'Paranoid,' included such classic tunes as 'War Pigs,' 'Iron Man' and 'Fairies Wear Boots.' The song 'Paranoid' only reached No. 61 on the Billboard Hot 100 but became in many ways the band's signature song. Both albums were voted among the top 10 greatest heavy metal albums of all time by readers of Rolling Stone magazine. 'Black Sabbath are the Beatles of heavy metal. Anybody who's serious about metal will tell you it all comes down to Sabbath,' Dave Navarro of the band Jane's Addiction wrote in a 2010 tribute in Rolling Stone. Sabbath fired Osbourne in 1979 for his legendary excesses, like showing up late for rehearsals and missing gigs. He reemerged the next year as a solo artist with 'Blizzard of Ozz' and the following year's 'Diary of a Madman,' both hard rock classics that went multi-platinum and spawned enduring favorites such as 'Crazy Train,' 'Goodbye to Romance,' 'Flying High Again' and 'You Can't Kill Rock and Roll.' Osbourne was twice inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — once with Sabbath in 2006 and again in 2024 as a solo artist. The original Sabbath lineup reunited for the first time in 20 years in July 2025 in the U.K. for what Osbourne said was his final concert. 'Let the madness begin!' he told 42,000 fans. Metallica, Guns N Roses, Slayer, Tool, Pantera, Gojira, Alice in Chains, Lamb of God, Halestorm, Anthrax, Rival Sons and Mastodon did sets. Tom Morello, Steven Tyler, Billy Corgan, Ronnie Wood, Travis Barker, Sammy Hagar, Yungblud and Vernon Reid made appearances. Osbourne embodied the excesses of metal. His outlandish exploits included relieving himself on the Alamo, snorting a line of ants off a sidewalk and, most memorably, biting the head off a live bat that a fan threw onstage during a 1981 concert. (He said he thought it was rubber.) Osbourne was sued in 1987 by parents of a 19-year-old teen who died by suicide while listening to his song 'Suicide Solution.' The lawsuit was dismissed. Osbourne said the song was really about the dangers of alcohol, which caused the death of his friend Bon Scott, lead singer of AC/DC. Then-Cardinal John J. O'Connor of New York claimed in 1990 that Osbourne's songs led to demonic possession and even suicide. 'You are ignorant about the true meaning of my songs,' the singer wrote back. 'You have also insulted the intelligence of rock fans all over the world.' Audiences at Osbourne shows could be mooned or spit on by the singer, but the Satan-invoking Osbourne would usually send the crowds home with their ears ringing and a hearty 'God bless!' He started an annual tour — Ozzfest — in 1996 after he was rejected from the lineup of what was then the top touring music festival, Lollapalooza. Ozzfest would host such bands as Slipknot, Tool, Megadeth, Rob Zombie, System of a Down, Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park. In 2013, he reunited with Black Sabbath for the dour, raw '13,' which reached No. 1 on the U.K. Albums Chart. In 2019, he had a Top 10 hit when featured on Post Malone's 'Take What You Want,' Osbourne's first song in the Top 10 since 1989. In 2020, he released the album 'Ordinary Man,' which had as its title song a duet with Elton John. 'I've been a bad guy, been higher than the blue sky/And the truth is I don't wanna die an ordinary man,' he sang. In 2022, he landed his first career back-to-back No. 1 rock radio singles from his album 'Patient Number 9,' which featured collaborations with Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Robert Trujillo and Duff McKagan. t earned four Grammy nominations, winning two. (Osbourne won five Grammys over his lifetime.) At the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2024, Jack Black called him 'greatest frontman in the history of rock 'n' roll' and 'the Jack Nicholson of rock.' John Michael Osbourne was raised in the gritty city of Birmingham, England. Kids in school nicknamed him Ozzy, short for his surname. In the late 1960s, Osbourne teamed up with bassist Terry 'Geezer' Butler, guitarist Tony Iommi and drummer Bill Ward. They named themselves after the American title of the classic Italian horror movie 'I Tre Volti Della Paura,' starring Boris Karloff: Black Sabbath. The music was all about industrial guitar riffs and disorienting changes in time signatures, along with lyrics that spoke of alienation and doom. 'All day long I think of things but nothing seems to satisfy/Think I'll lose my mind if I don't find something to pacify,' Osbourne sang in one song. The Guardian in 2009 said the band 'introduced working-class anger, stoner sludge grooves and witchy horror-rock to flower power." Much later, a wholesome Osbourne would be revealed when 'The Osbournes,' which ran on MTV from 2002-2005, showed this one-time self-proclaimed madman drinking Diet Cokes as he struggled to find the History Channel on his new satellite television. He is survived by Sharon, and his children.
Mint
17 minutes ago
- Mint
Reactions to the death of Ozzy Osbourne
(Adds quotes from Aston Villa, Rod Stewart and Yungblud) LONDON, July 22 (Reuters) - Ozzy Osbourne, frontman of 1970s British heavy metal band Black Sabbath, has died at the age of 76, his family said on Tuesday. No cause of death was given but Osbourne revealed in 2020 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. The illness made him unable to walk, and he performed his last concert on July 5 in Birmingham sitting on a black throne. Following are some reactions to his death: FAMILY STATEMENT, SIGNED BY WIFE SHARON AND HIS CHILDREN "It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love." ROLLING STONES' RONNIE WOOD, ON SOCIAL MEDIA "I am so very sad to hear of the death of Ozzy Osbourne. What a lovely goodbye concert he had at Back To The Beginning in Birmingham." ELTON JOHN, ON SOCIAL MEDIA "So sad to hear the news of Ozzy Osbourne passing away. He was a dear friend and a huge trailblazer who secured his place in the pantheon of rock gods - a true legend. He was also one of the funniest people I've ever met. I will miss him dearly. To Sharon and the family, I send my condolences and love." PARKINSON'S UK CHARITY, ON SOCIAL MEDIA "News of Ozzy Osbourne's death, so soon after his celebratory homecoming show, will come as a shock to so many. By speaking openly about both his diagnosis and life with Parkinson's, Ozzy and all his family helped so many families in the same situation. They normalised tough conversations and made others feel less alone with a condition that's on the rise and affecting more people every day." SINGER ALI CAMPBELL, ON SOCIAL MEDIA "The Prince of Darkness. A true Birmingham legend. The undisputed king of heavy metal. You didn't just shape a culture, you defined it. You led from the front and never looked back. My thoughts are with Sharon and the entire Osbourne family during this time." SHABANA MAHMOOD, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR BIRMINGHAM LADYWOOD, ON SOCIAL MEDIA "An honour to have celebrated the extraordinary life and legacy of Ozzy Osbourne just weeks ago. Devastated to hear the news of his death today. One of the greatest gifts my city gave the world. My thoughts are with his family. In Ozzy's own words: Birmingham forever." ASTON VILLA FOOTBALL CLUB, ON SOCIAL MEDIA "Aston Villa Football Club is saddened to learn that world-renowned rockstar and Villan Ozzy Osbourne has passed away. Growing up in Aston, not far from Villa Park, Ozzy always held a special connection to the club and the community he came from." SINGER YUNGBLUD, ON SOCIAL MEDIA "I will never forget you - you will be in every single note I sing and with me every single time I walk on stage. Your cross around my neck is the most precious thing I own... I am truly heartbroken. You were the greatest of all time." SINGER ROD STEWART, ON SOCIAL MEDIA "Bye, bye Ozzy. Sleep well, my friend. I'll see you up there - later rather than sooner." (Reporting by Catarina Demony; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
Time of India
29 minutes ago
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Ozzy Osbourne dead at 76: Rock legend's long health battle with Parkinson's, spinal injuries
Image credits: Getty Images John Michael Osbourne, popularly known as "Ozzy" Osbourne, was a legendary English singer who was the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath. Also known as the Prince of Darkness, the 76-year-old had just recently reunited with his bandmates to perform a huge farewell for the fans. Now, in a statement, his family announced his death, saying, "It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love." Throughout his life, Osbourne had dealt with a variety of health concerns. From breaking his neck to dealing with Parkinson's and depression, the singer had braved a lot. Here's a look at his medical history. Quad bike crash Image credits: X In 2003, the rockstar was seriously injured in a quad bike accident at his Buckinghamshire estate, when he broke his collarbone and six ribs. Then, a fall from a toilet in 2019 dislodged the metal rods in his back from the quad bike crash. 'I fell over and I landed wrong,' he later said. "I went to the doctor's, and you assume everybody knows what they're doing. I haven't walked properly since.' In 2023, he revealed that a fourth operation was the last one his body could handle. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Could Be the Best Time to Trade Gold in 5 Years IC Markets Learn More Undo 'It's going to be the final surgery, because I can't do it any more. Regardless of the way it ends up, I can't.' 'I walked upstairs today for the first time in a while, and my feet feel like I've got diving boots on,' he added. ADHD and dyslexia The star also faced troubles with dyslexia and ADHD. In a 2019 interview with GQ magazine, he shared how, along with his recovery, he also had to do a daily inventory of how his day went. And since he is dyslexic and has ADHD, he used to carry a tape recorder with him to record a melody straight away. Parkinson's disease Image credits: X Osbourne was diagnosed with Parkin 2, a mild form of Parkinson's disease in 2019, which he publicly revealed in 2020. Along with mobility issues, the condition led him to suffer from pain, depression and blood clots. Pneumonia In 2019, he also came down with pneumonia and had to axe his tour dates to recuperate for six weeks on doctors' advice. "Ozzy recently developed pneumonia & has spent some time in hospital. He is through the worst part. His doctors have advised that he stay at home to recuperate for a full six weeks," his wife Sharon wrote on social media. In an interview, he had also shared that the blood clots in his legs caused him blood pressure issues and had to be treated with blood thinners. Emphysema and spinal tumour Image credits: X Additionally, in 2019, the star also suffered from a severe upper-respiratory infection that led to emphysema (COPD). In November 2023, Osbourne revealed that he had been diagnosed with a spinal tumour but remained hopeful that he would be able to perform again to say goodbye to his fans. Recently, in July 2025, with his other bandmates, he gave a final concert to some 40,000 fans at Villa Park soccer stadium in Birmingham, England. Needless to say, the godfather of heavy metal will be remembered forever.
