Despite gearing up for what is being billed as his final live performance, Ozzy Osbourne has made it clear: he’s not retiring from music anytime soon. The legendary BLACK SABBATH frontman has insisted that while the upcoming “Back to the Beginning” show may mark the end of an era, it’s not the end of his creative journey.
In a new interview with Metal Hammer, Ozzy said he still has plenty of music left in him, even as he continues to battle Parkinson’s disease. “I am very blessed to say my goodbyes with the help of so many amazing musicians and friends,” he shared. “From the late ’60s, we are probably one of the only bands where the original members are still alive and speaking with one another. As my wife says, it’s an invisible bond that can’t be broken.”
But Ozzy made it clear that this isn’t a farewell to his recording career. “I still enjoy doing my own work. I also enjoy singing on other people’s work,” he said. “For the foreseeable future, I will keep on recording if the projects interest me. It’s very important.”
The massive “Back to the Beginning” concert, set for Saturday, July 5 at Villa Park in Birmingham, will be a historic moment for heavy music. It will not only be Ozzy’s final live show but also the first time in over 20 years that the original BLACK SABBATH lineup — Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward — will perform together in their hometown.
However, preparing for this monumental gig hasn’t been easy on the band, especially drummer Bill Ward, who hasn’t played a stadium show in many years. Now in his late 70s, Ward is undergoing intense preparation. “I played for two hours yesterday, very loud. I’m doing sparring, boxing — that keeps my upper body fit,” he said.
When asked what drew him back to the band, Ward’s answer was heartfelt: “They’re still my brothers. They’ll always be my brothers. It doesn’t matter how much we argue. I grew up with them. I love them.”
Reflecting on BLACK SABBATH’s legacy, he added: “BLACK SABBATH was the best thing that ever happened to me. My life would have been terrible otherwise. I was a lost kid in my teenage years, all I could identify with was drums and rock and roll.”
Ward believes the band was destined for greatness from the beginning. “I knew we were good from the first time we played with each other,” he said. “I had this feeling inside that we could do something bold and strange… and we did.”
Bassist Geezer Butler echoed those sentiments, saying: “I wouldn’t have contemplated it without Bill. The whole point of this last show was to finish with the original four of us playing together.”
Guitarist Tony Iommi, however, made it clear this will be his final chapter with SABBATH. “For me, it’s all over with SABBATH. We’ll do this and then that’s it,” he said. “How do I want to be remembered? For what we brought to the table. For bringing the music out and inspiring other bands to build on it.”
The lineup for “Back to the Beginning” is equally monumental, with METALLICA, GUNS N’ ROSES, SLAYER, PANTERA, TOOL, ALICE IN CHAINS, HALESTORM, ANTHRAX, Sammy Hagar, LAMB OF GOD, and Papa V Perpetua all confirmed to perform.
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