Sharon Osbourne has shared that Ozzy was quietly overwhelmed by the wave of love and recognition he received during Black Sabbath’s farewell performance in Birmingham last month.
The show, part of the massive ‘Back To The Beginning’ event at Villa Park on July 5, marked the final time the original Sabbath lineup would take the stage together.
It was a short, four-song set but one that clearly carried significant weight. For Ozzy, it actually became a moment of unexpected clarity. “He turned around and said to me that night, ‘I had no idea that so many people liked me’,” Sharon said in an interview shortly before his death. “Ozzy’s always been in his own bubble.”
Just weeks later, on July 22, the Prince of Darkness passed away following a heart attack, having also battled coronary heart disease and Parkinson’s in recent years. His death certificate simply and aptly described his occupation as “Songwriter, Performer and Rock Legend”.
For longtime fans, the Birmingham show was already heavy with meaning, but Sharon revealed that one of the biggest emotional moments for Ozzy was getting to play with drummer Bill Ward again. “He was very, very emotional about that,” she said. It was the first time the four founding members had performed together since 2005.
It goes without saying that ‘Back To The Beginning’ was a huge event. I mean, the lineup was quite literally stacked to the nines with Metallica, Tool, Slayer, Guns N’ Roses, Korn, and others all performing onstage. The show later went on to become the highest-grossing charity concert in history, with proceeds going to local Birmingham organisations.
A documentary titled Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home will premiere on BBC One and iPlayer on August 18. Filmed over the final three years of his life, it promises an intimate look into his last chapter. Meanwhile, a biopic chronicling the lives of Ozzy and Sharon remains in development at Sony Pictures.
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