Tony Iommi Reflects on Final Show and Goodbye with Ozzy Osbourne

Tony Iommi believes Ozzy Osbourne may have known his time was coming and was determined to leave the world the way he lived in it. Meaning a proper send-off and a show for the ages.

The Black Sabbath guitarist has spoken about the loss of his longtime bandmate and friend, following Ozzy’s death earlier this week. The two reunited earlier this month in Birmingham for the Back To The Beginning concert, which brought the original Sabbath lineup back together for one final performance. It turned out to be Ozzy’s last.

Speaking to ITV, Iommi admitted the news didn’t feel real at first. “I thought, it can’t be. I only had a text from him the day before. It just seemed unreal.”

He said Ozzy had been preparing for the show for some time, despite his health issues. “He had been training and doing what he could so he could do this gig. That’s really what he wanted to do.”

Even in rehearsals, it was obvious Ozzy was struggling, but he kept pushing. Iommi later added, “We think he really just held out to do that show. And just after that, he’s done it and said goodbye to the fans. And that was the end of it, really.”

The reunion show in their hometown was emotional for everyone involved. It was the first time in twenty years that drummer Bill Ward had played with the group, and for fans, it was a historic moment. For Ozzy, Iommi said it meant everything.

“He was moved and frustrated as well because he wanted to stand up. You could see he was trying to get up. But it meant everything to him.”

After the show, Ozzy made his way around the dressing rooms in a wheelchair to say goodbye to the band and crew. “He came around before he was leaving to have a little chat. He seemed all right. He enjoyed it. He said, ‘Oh, it went all right, didn’t it?’ and I said, ‘Yeah, it did.’”

Only a day before Ozzy died, Iommi had received a message from him. “He said he was tired and really had no energy.” He explained they had not expected him at every rehearsal because it was too demanding for his condition. “But when he came in, he gave it everything. He sang a few songs, joked around. It was like being back in the old days.”

That final show actually gave them a chance to reminisce. Not just about the music but also the stories of the past. “You always remember that stuff. You can’t remember what happened yesterday, but you can remember what happened all that time ago.”

When asked how he would remember Ozzy, Iommi paused. “There’s never going to be another Ozzy. He’s the only one. One Ozzy, and that’s it.” He recalled the humour, the antics and the unpredictability that made him such a unique frontman. “Many times we said to him, now don’t go saying anything. And of course, he does. But it was funny. We had a lot of laughs on stage.”

For Iommi, it’s clear the fact that they got to play that final show means a lot. “I’m really glad we did it. Because if we hadn’t, people wouldn’t have seen the band with Ozzy one last time. But they did. And they’ll never forget it.”