‘Our final song … ever’: Legendary metal singer performs at huge send-off concert
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‘Our final song’: Legendary metal singer plays final epic show amid health issues
Ozzy Osbourne played his final show during a send-off concert called “Back to the Beginning” in Birmingham, England. The concert served as both a tribute and farewell at Villa Park, and included an all-star cast of bands such as Metallica, Slayer, Guns N’ Roses, Tool, Pantera and Anthrax. Osbourne, 76, has faced several health issues over the years and Saturday’s show marked the final performance for the singer known as the “Prince of Darkness.’“I’ve been doing this since I was 15, and I’m done,” the 72-year-old told Billboard.
Ozzy Osbourne played his final show during a send-off concert called “Back to the Beginning” in Birmingham, England, the city where the hugely influential Black Sabbath first formed in 1968.
The concert served as both a tribute and farewell at Villa Park, and included an all-star cast of bands such as Metallica, Slayer, Guns N’ Roses, Tool, Pantera and Anthrax, among others.
The event ran for 11 hours and streamed live globally to hundreds of thousands of fans.
Osbourne, 76, has faced several health issues over the years and Saturday’s show marked the final performance for the singer known as the “Prince of Darkness.”
The singer has not performed live due to health issues, including Parkinson’s disease and emphysema, in nearly seven years, according to The New York Times. He took the stage with the original members of Black Sabbath from the 1970s — guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Terence Butler, and drummer Bill Ward — for a four-song set.
“It’s so good to be on this (expletive) stage, you have no idea,” Osbourne told the crowd.
The legendary singer performed the show while sitting in a black winged throne.
The original Black Sabbath line-up played some of their biggest songs: “War Pigs,” “NIB,” “Iron Man,” and “Paranoid.”
In a question and answer with communications agency Premier Comms, the singer said the Back to the Beginning concert was to “say thank you to my fans for always supporting me and being there for me.”
“I couldn’t have done my final show anywhere else,” he said of playing the gig in his hometown of Birmingham. “I had to go back to the beginning.”
When Black Sabbath arrived at their last song of the night, Osbourne struck a grateful tone, the Times reported.
“Unfortunately, we’ve come to our final song … ever,” Osbourne said. “I just want to say to you on behalf of the guys in Black Sabbath and myself, your support over the years has made it all possible for us to live the lifestyle that we do. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I love you; we love you.”
Sharon Osbourne, the singer’s wife, organized the performances along with Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello.
“I’ve been doing this since I was 15, and I’m done,” the 72-year-old told Billboard. “We just want to live our life and do what we want to do and not have to follow an itinerary anymore.”