Despite ongoing concerns about his health, legendary rocker Ozzy Osbourne has confirmed he will take the stage one last time this July, fronting BLACK SABBATH’s original lineup for what’s being billed as his final concert.
In a joint interview with The Guardian, set to be published Friday, the 75-year-old icon assured fans of his commitment to the performance. “I’ll be there, and I’ll do the best I can. So all I can do is turn up.” Osbourne said, speaking alongside his bandmates.
Osbourne has faced a tough stretch of health issues in recent years, including a 2019 fall that worsened a previous spinal injury and led to multiple surgeries. He’s also battled pneumonia, a persistent infection, and a form of Parkinson’s disease.
In his interview with The Guardian, he admitted the toll it has taken on his mental health. “You wake up the next morning and find that something else has gone wrong,” Ozzy said. “You begin to think this is never going to end.” He said the reunion concert was conceived by his wife, Sharon, as “something to give me a reason to get up in the morning.”
“We’re only playing a couple of songs each,” he admitted elsewhere in the interview. “I don’t want people thinking ‘we’re getting ripped off’, because it’s just going to be … what’s the word? … a sample, you’re going to get a few songs each by Ozzy and SABBATH.”
Sammy Hagar recently revealed in a Loudwire Nights interview that Ozzy Osbourne is scheduled to perform five songs at BLACK SABBATH‘s “Back to the Beginning” concert this July.
When asked about his song choices, Hagar revealed: “I chose to do ‘No More Tears’ and Tom goes, ‘Oh, that would be great.’ And then he comes back and says, ‘Guess what? Ozzy‘s going to try and sing five songs and he wants to sing ‘No More Tears.’ I said, okay, ‘Flying High Again,’ and he goes, ‘You got it.’
“So right now, I’m singing ‘Flying High Again.’ If Ozzy changes his mind, I’ll sing ‘Flying High Again’ and ‘No More Tears.’“
BLACK SABBATH and Ozzy Osbourne‘s final show, scheduled for July 5th at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, is shaping up to be a historic event. Dubbed “Back To The Beginning,” this concert will mark the culmination of the band’s groundbreaking career and a celebration of their enduring legacy.
The event will also feature performances by METALLICA, SLAYER, PANTERA, GUNS N’ ROSES, TOOL, GOJIRA, ALICE IN CHAINS, HALESTORM, LAMB OF GOD, ANTHRAX, and MASTODON.
Source: metaladdicts.com
