On July 5, the original Black Sabbath lineup of Geezer Butler, Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward will reunite onstage for one final hurrah. Recently, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and several members of Soundgarden joined the roster. Certainly, the Birmingham, England concert is a can’t-miss event for metal enthusiasts. However, some have publicly raised concerns over the 76-year-old Ozzy’s capacity to perform following multiple surgeries and a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis. In a recent interview with The Guardian, the “Prince of Darkness” and his former bandmates explored their hopes and fears surrounding the highly-anticipated finale.
Videos by American Songwriter
Black Sabbath Will Reunite Onstage For The First Time in 20 Years
The “Back to the Beginning” concert is the brainchild of Sharon Osbourne, Ozzy’s wife and manager. Finding her husband “in Doom Town” following a particularly rough stretch of bad health, she wanted “something to give me a reason to get up in the morning,” the “Iron Man” singer says.
“I thought, ‘Oh, f—ing hell, she’s got an idea. Here we go,’” Ozzy recalled with a laugh.
Greatest Fest/Concert Ever. Nothing can outdo this at this point.
— MCM (@MMike218) May 2, 2025
Two Huge Artists Added to Ozzy + Black Sabbath’s Farewell Concert https://t.co/ezADhHrhlp
Of course, getting all four original Black Sabbath members on the same stage was another story. Tony Iommi admits to The Guardian that he had his doubts. “I’m the one that said, ‘I don’t know if we should do it,’ because we did a farewell tour and I didn’t want to get into that thing like all the other bands are doing, saying it’s the last tour and then reappearing again,” said the guitarist, 77. “But I’ve been convinced, because we’re doing it for a reason.” (That reason is raising funds for Parkinson’s and children’s charities.)
“It Has To Be Great”
With all the buzz surrounding Black Sabbath’s final show, its members would be lying if they said they weren’t nervous. “I’m already having palpitations,” said Butler, 75. In fact, the drummer had a nightmare just recently. “I dreamed everything went wrong on stage and we all turned to dust.”
No doubt, the stakes are sky high for the pioneering rockers. “It’s important that we leave a great impression, since it’s the final time that people will experience us live,” Butler said. “So it has to be great on the night.”
While Ozzy may not deliver the high-intensity performance that longtime fans are used to, he is adamant that he will take the stage.
“I may be sitting down, but the point is I’ll be there. And I’ll do the best I can,” he said. “So all I can do is turn up.”
Featured image by Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.