Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath revealed this week that they are reuniting for one final show, and there’s no doubt it will be a special occasion.
And, while it seems a lot of bands announce farewells only to make a comeback years down the line, this really does appear to be it for Osbourne and Black Sabbath. And that’s because Osbourne, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease back in 2020, is struggling health wise.
“I have made it to 2025,” Osbourne said while appearing on SiriusXM Wednesday. “I can’t walk, but you know what I was thinking over the holidays? For all my complaining, I’m still alive. I may be moaning that I can’t walk, but I look down the road and there’s people that didn’t do half as much as me and didn’t make it.”
While Osbourne, 76, is struggling physically, his wife, Sharon, told The Sun that his voice has held up.
“He’s very happy to be coming back and very emotional about this,” she said. “Parkinson’s is a progressive disease. It’s not something you can stabilize. It affects different parts of the body, and it’s affected his legs. But his voice is as good as it’s ever been.”
All four members of Black Sabbath are slated to reunite on July 5 at Aston Villa for a show called “Back to the Beginning.”
“It’s my time to go Back to the Beginning … time for me to give back to the place where I was born,” Osbourne said in a post on X. “How blessed am I to do it with the help of people whom I love. Birmingham is the true home of metal. Birmingham Forever.”
Tom Morello, who is listed as the music director for the show, said “This will be the greatest heavy metal show ever.”
While Black Sabbath reuniting for a final show is the big news, the show is slated to have an all-star lineup with Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins, Slash, Fred Durst, Lzzy Hale, Sammy Hagar, Zakk Wylde and Morello among those scheduled to perform.
Osbourne’s post said that all profits will go to benefit charities including: CureParkinson’s, Birmingham Childrens Hospital and Acorn Childrens Hospice & Chirldren’s Hospice supported by Aston Villa.
Osbourne’s post says that Black Sabbath was formed in Birmingham in 1978 and went on to become one of the most successful metal bands of all time, and it’s hard to argue that. Black Sabbath claims to have sold more than 75 million records.