As anticipation builds for BLACK SABBATH’s historic farewell performance, guitarist Tony Iommi has shared candid thoughts about frontman Ozzy Osbourne’s ability to take the stage.
Set for July 5 at Villa Park in Birmingham, the “Back To The Beginning” concert will bring all four original members — Iommi, Osbourne, bassist Geezer Butler, and drummer Bill Ward — back together in their hometown for the first time in two decades. For Ozzy, who has been battling Parkinson’s disease, the show is expected to be his final live performance.
“This would be a big, monumental thing if it all comes good,” Iommi told Music Week. But even he admits there’s uncertainty surrounding the night. “The worrying thing for me is the unknown. We don’t know what’s going to happen.”
Unlike previous BLACK SABBATH tours, which were marked by extended rehearsals and a tight-knit crew, “Back To The Beginning” will be a larger, more complex event. That scale — combined with Ozzy’s health — leaves Iommi cautiously hopeful.
“Normally, when we’d tour, we’d rehearse and run through the thing for a while, and it’s just us,” he explained. “But with this event there are so many other moving parts.”
Ozzy himself has spoken openly about the challenges Parkinson’s presents, including difficulties with mobility. Iommi acknowledged the shift in stage dynamics this will bring: “You’re used to Ozzy running around, but he certainly won’t be doing that for this show. I don’t know if he’s going to be standing or sitting on a throne or what.”
Still, despite the unknowns, Iommi is holding on to hope — and excitement. “It’s excitement mixed with fear,” he said of the upcoming show. “Once we start playing, then we’ll know we’re doing it. It’s always a worry, even when we did tours before, there’s always that build-up, and then it gets to the point that we do it and it’s okay.”
In a recent interview with The Guadian, Iommi admitted that he was initially opposed to the idea of the band’s final concert. As one of the pioneering figures in heavy metal, Iommi’s reservations about ending BLACK SABBATH’s story with a farewell show stemmed from his reluctance to follow the footsteps of other bands who made similar promises, only to break them later with return tours.
“I’m the one that said, ‘I don’t know if we should do it,’ because we did a farewell tour and I didn’t want to get into that thing like all the other bands are doing, saying it’s the last tour and then reappearing again,” Iommi explained. He was concerned about the credibility of making a “final” concert, only to see other groups doing the same after claiming it was their last tour.
Despite his initial doubts, Iommi revealed that the event eventually convinced him. “I’ve been convinced, because we’re doing it for a reason… No one’s getting paid or anything,” he shared. BLACK SABBATH’s last concert, titled Back to the Beginning, won’t just be a celebration of the band’s legacy—it will also serve a charitable cause. The event will raise funds for Parkinson’s and children’s charities, adding a meaningful dimension to the band’s farewell.
he performance will also include a star-studded lineup, with appearances from METALLICA, SLAYER, PANTERA, GUNS N’ ROSES, TOOL, GOJIRA, ALICE IN CHAINS, HALESTORM, LAMB OF GOD, ANTHRAX, MASTODON and more.
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