Ozzy Osbourne's Message To Fans At His Final Concert Is Even More Tragic Now

Ozzy Osbourne, a controversial figure, a rock star who partied way too hard and who is a two-time inductee in the also controversial Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, virtually invented and definitely popularized heavy metal. As the frontman for Black Sabbath in the 1970s and with a solo career in the 1980s, the self-proclaimed "Prince of Darkness," who had one of the most distinctive and menacing voices in music history, brought the sinister and frightening into the light on loud, heavy, and low-end-focused songs like "Paranoid," "Iron Man," "Crazy Train," and "Bark at the Moon." Almost as well known for the many crazy stunts he pulled, Osbourne enjoyed an unlikely pivot into warm and fuzzy family man with "The Osbournes," an MTV reality sitcom featuring rock's darkest figure and his wife and kids.

Osbourne has clearly never been afraid to delve deep into emotional territory, and things got pretty wistful and melancholy for the legend in the 2020s. After sustaining a serious fall in 2019 and receiving a diagnosis of the progressive neurological condition Parkinson's disease in 2020, Osbourne virtually stopped performing live, citing nerve pain, numbness, and difficulty walking. In 2025, Black Sabbath announced that the original lineup would reunite one last time for what would amount to Osbourne's final concert. That show, "Back to the Beginning," went down in July 2025 at the Villa Park soccer stadium in Birmingham, England. Osbourne's last utterances from the stage would prove particularly bittersweet, in light of later events.

Black Sabbath formed in Birmingham in 1969, and so it was a fitting site for Ozzy Osbourne's final concert, planned as his farewell gig even before his death just weeks later. The nostalgically named "Back to the Beginning" concert marked Osbourne's first time to play his hometown in two decades, and an exceptionally rare performance by the original, four-member lineup of Black Sabbath, which only added to the overwhelming sentiment and emotions on display.

While Osbourne would certainly rate as the headlining and thus final performer at the July 5, 2025 farewell show at Villa Park, both for Black Sabbath as an entity and as his swan song to music, was certainly the focus of the entire event. Once the show began, the most illustrious succession of hard rock and heavy metal bands took the stage for 30-minute sets, all of them influenced and appreciative of Osbourne, including Mastodon, Anthrax, Alice in Chains, Pantera, Slayer, Guns N' Roses, and Metallica.

The final two slots on "Back to the Beginning" were all about Ozzy Osbourne. Unable to walk, Osbourne occupied the stage in a giant throne decorated with dark imagery, befitting his status as the best-known purveyor of demonic rock. Vocally, Osbourne remained unbothered by illness or injury, as he churned through a five-song collection of some of his biggest solo hits, including "Mr. Crowley," "Mama I'm Coming Home," "Suicide Solution," and "Crazy Train."

After Ozzy's final solo set, it was time for the classic-era Black Sabbath lineup to play together just once more. Alongside Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward, Osbourne belted out a set list of that band's 1970s-era classics, including "War Pigs," "N.I.B.," "Iron Man," and "Paranoid." Just before the group launched into "Paranoid," Osbourne got the crowd even more riled up, inciting fervor and excitement. "Go f***ing crazy, it's the last song," he announced. But Osbourne's final statement to his fans, and to the world, as it would seem, was delivered in written form on the gigantic screens at the stadium. A mix of Osbourne's unique blend of heartfelt sentiment and profanity, it read (according to The Mirror), "Thank you for everything, you guys are f***ing amazing. Birmingham Forever."

Just over two weeks after the "Back to the Beginning" concert, chronic health issues would take their toll on Osbourne. Ozzy died on July 22, 2025 at the age of 76.