Latest news with #farewellconcert
News.com.au
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Ozzy Osbourne's heartbreaking final text to his close pal revealed
Ozzy Osbourne's longtime guitarist Zakk Wylde revealed the poignant final text message he received from the late metal icon after Black Sabbath's farewell concert. 'The last text I got from Oz was saying, 'Zakky, sorry, it was like a madhouse back there. I didn't see you.' He goes, 'Thanks for everything,'' Wylde told Guitar World in an interview published Tuesday. 'It was just us talking, saying, 'I love you, buddy.' That was it.' Wylde divulged in the interview that he had expected to see Osbourne — who died on July 22 at age 76 — at some point following Black Sabbath's farewell concert in Birmingham, England, on July 5. But that never happened. The guitarist — who joined Black Sabbath in 1987 — explained that he wanted to give the Prince of Darkness a reprieve from the chaos backstage after the show. 'Everybody and their mother were in the backstage dressing room and I just wanted to give him a break,' Wylde said, noting elsewhere in the interview that their priority was 'making sure that Oz was OK.' 'It was definitely pretty amazing. Seeing Oz onstage when Sabbath got done, that's the last time I saw him,' Wylde recalled. Wylde, 58, also shared how the Black Sabbath frontman was like family to him. 'Oz was just the best. I have my father, who was a World War II veteran; and then Ozzy, who was almost like an older brother,' the guitarist told the outlet. 'There was almost a 20-year age gap between us. With our relationship, there was the fun drinking – but if I ever needed advice, I could talk to him.' The families were so close, in fact, that Osbourne was given a special title. 'Ozzy is the godfather of our oldest son,' Wylde said. 'Whether I was playing with him or not, if Sharon called me and my wife up and said, 'Guys, can you watch the house while we're away on a business trip?' I'd do it. It's like, 'If you need me to bring milk and eggs over, I'll do it.'' The legendary rocker died last week after battling Parkinson's disease and the effects of a 2003 quad bike accident. Ozzy's wife, Sharon Osbourne, and children announced his death in a statement obtained by Page Six. '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,' they said. 'He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.' Ozzy was honoured with a funeral procession in Birmingham, England, on Wednesday.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Sharon Osbourne's final act of love for husband Ozzy revealed after Black Sabbath legend's death aged 76
Sharon Osbourne 's final act of love for her husband Ozzy has come to light following his passing. The Black Sabbath frontman, famously known as the Prince of Darkness, died on Tuesday at the age of 76 - just weeks after performing his final show with the band. Ozzy was reportedly warned by insurers that they wouldn't cover the concert if he insisted on standing to bid farewell to his devoted fans. But Sharon, determined to make his dream a reality, is said to have fought a behind-the-scenes battle with insurance agents, according to the Mirror. To resolve the issue, she is said to have arranged for Ozzy to be seated in a throne throughout the performance. This allowed him to deliver five solo tracks and four Black Sabbath classics despite his health struggles. An insider told the publication: 'With the Parkinson's and the walking issues, no insurance agent would agree to let Oz stand. 'So to overcome that, and not have a huge insurance premium on the charity show, they secured a deal to have him safely locked in his throne. 'It really speaks so much to Sharon's drive and focus to get it all pulled off, because of the health issues. She was a miracle worker.' MailOnline has contacted Sharon's representative for comment. Ozzy took to the stage for his farewell concert at Villa Park Stadium in his native Birmingham less than three weeks before his death. The rocker reunited with his original Black Sabbath bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward for the first time since 2005 to bid an emotional farewell to his decades of performing live on stage. After selling out in minutes, over 42,000 fans packed into Villa Park for the aptly-titled Back to the Beginning show, which saw Ozzy and Black Sabbath return to their hometown - 56 years after they formed there. The final photograph of him before his death was taken on stage as he sat on a black throne aptly decorated with a bat to perform his best-known hits for his loyal fans. His final words on stage were: 'It's the last song ever. Your support has enabled us to live an amazing lifestyle, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.' A message on screen then read: 'Thank you for everything, you guys are f***ing amazing. Birmingham Forever,' before the sky lit up with fireworks. On Wednesday, MailOnline revealed that an air ambulance was called to Osbourne's multi-million-pound country home as paramedics battled to save his life. The Thames Valley air ambulance landed in a field close to Welders House, the singer's Grade II listed mansion on Tuesday morning at around 10.30am. It's believed that calls from Welders House had led call handlers to believe that the Black Sabbath singer's life was in the balance. A chopper was dispatched from Thames Valley ambulance base at RAF Benson in Wallingford, Oxfordshire, some 27 miles from the mansion which is located close to the village of Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire. The crew were airborne for around 15 minutes before landing in the grounds of the mansion and were then with Ozzy for around two hours, trying but failing to save his life, it's understood. Ozzy was born John Michael Osbourne in Birmingham in 1948, and dropped out of school at the age of 15. After serving two months in prison for burglary, he decided to pursue his love of music and by 1970 Black Sabbath had gained a huge following in the US and UK with the release of their first album. Ozzy quit the band in 1978 and divorced his first wife Thelma Mayfair, who he had two children with, four years later, amid his ongoing substance abuse problems. He went on to marry second wife Sharon, who helped him transform into a successful solo artist and the couple had three children together. Ozzy gained a whole new audience of fans with the family's reality TV show The Osbournes in 2001.
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ozzy Osbourne fans speculate which greedy band Sharon disinvited from Black Sabbath farewell concert
After Sharon Osbourne revealed she had disinvited a band from Ozzy Osbourne's Black Sabbath farewell concert, fans took to social media to speculate which one it was. 'My guess is Motley Crue,' wrote one user via Reddit. 'I'm thinking KISS. The most greedy band on the planet,' a second person claimed. 'I pondered on this as well, for there's many bands that it could be. the first that struck me was Megadeth. due to the fact the other bands of the 'big 4' were there and the band is doin up a new album,' a third fan hypothesized. 'I'm going to say Foo fighters motley Crue or limp Bizkit,' a fourth person commented. The fans' guesses came after Sharon, 72, told Billboard that she disinvited a group to the show last Saturday because they 'wanted to make a profit.' 'It's not the time to make a profit,' she added. 'After the show, I'll let everybody know who it was. I think people will be shocked.' However, Sharon has yet to reveal the name of the band. Page Six reached out for comment. Last weekend, Ozzy performed his final show with his Black Sabbath bandmates — Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward — at the Villa Park Stadium in Birmingham, England, where the band was formed in the late '60s. The 10-hour show — which was hosted by 'Aquaman' actor Jason Momoa — featured performances from Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Jack Black and more. The rockstar, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2020, announced he was stepping away from touring in 2023 after he underwent an extensive spinal surgery the year prior. At the time, Ozzy also shared that he only had '10 years left' to live after his back surgery left him 'virtually crippled.' Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ozzy Osbourne's Final Reported Photo Before His Death Is Heartbreaking
Ozzy Osbourne's Final Reported Photo Before His Death Is Heartbreaking originally appeared on Parade. Legendary rocker Ozzy Osbourne has died at the age of 76, just weeks after performing his final show in front of a sold-out crowd in Birmingham, England. The Black Sabbath frontman passed away on Tuesday, July 22, after a long battle with Parkinson's disease. His death comes shortly after he reunited with his original bandmates, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward, for his Back To The Beginning farewell concert — marking the first time they had played together in years. Ozzy's wife, Sharon Osbourne, spoke ahead of the show about his determination to perform despite his declining health. 'Ozzy's working with his therapist every single day. He's doing really well, actually,' she reportedly said at the time. 'Ozzy's number one thing in life is his fans, so he's working hard to be ready for them, to make this show the perfect way to end things.' In the weeks leading up to his passing, Ozzy underwent intense physical therapy and training to prepare for the show, driven by his desire to give fans a proper goodbye. One day before his death, the singer posted a haunting image on Instagram — a photo of a laminated poster promoting his final performance. The post now stands as an eerie farewell to a career that spanned decades. According to the The Sun, the last known photo of Ozzy shows the icon on stage during his farewell show. Seated on a throne and dressed in all black, Ozzy soaked in the applause from his fans in a photo captured by renowned rock photographer . Visibly emotional, he told the crowd that night, 'You have no idea how I feel.' Following the announcement of his death, the Osbourne family released a statement. '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. We ask everyone to respect our family's privacy at this time." Since news of his passing broke, heartfelt tributes have poured in from friends, fans and fellow rock legends — including Yungblud, Elton John, Billie Joe Armstrong and his children Jack and Kelly. Ozzy Osbourne's Final Reported Photo Before His Death Is Heartbreaking first appeared on Parade on Jul 22, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 22, 2025, where it first appeared.
Washington Post
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Watch Ozzy Osbourne's final live performance
Arts & Entertainment Watch Ozzy Osbourne's final live performance July 23, 2025 | 5:42 AM GMT Ozzy Osbourne, the front man for Black Sabbath, died July 22, just weeks after he reunited with his bandmates for a farewell concert in England. He was 76.
