Ozzy Osbourne closed the curtain on his legendary live career Saturday night with a thunderous farewell performance in Birmingham, England. Before a crowd of 40,000 at Villa Park stadium, the 76-year-old heavy metal pioneer, who has battled Parkinson’s disease and other health challenges, declared this would be his final concert.
Emerging from beneath the stage seated on a rising black throne, Osbourne launched into a solo set that blended hits with heartfelt gratitude. Later, fans witnessed history as the original Black Sabbath lineup—Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward—joined him onstage for their first performance together in two decades. They closed with “Paranoid,” a defining anthem of the genre they helped create.
The show anchored an all-day festival featuring Metallica, Anthrax, and Guns N’ Roses, all paying tribute to a figure whose music shaped generations. Messages from artists including Jack Black, Dolly Parton, and Elton John poured in, saluting Osbourne’s singular impact.
Born in Birmingham’s industrial heart in 1948, Osbourne co-founded Black Sabbath in 1968, unleashing a heavy, ominous sound that would define British metal. Decades later, his fame grew beyond music when MTV’s “The Osbournes” reality series turned his family life into a pop culture phenomenon.
Health struggles often sidelined him, including a severe quad bike accident in 2003, a Parkinson’s diagnosis in 2020, and spinal surgery that halted touring. But Saturday’s performance marked a triumphant final act, closing out more than 50 years onstage.
Source: ABC