Hard rock bands and approximately 40,000 metal fans gathered Saturday night in Birmingham to pay tribute to Ozzy Osbourne. The heavy metal icon played what he believes was his very last live performance ever.
The original lineup of Osbourne’s band Black Sabbath performed at Villa Park football stadium in their hometown of Birmingham, in the middle of England.
“Let the madness begin,” the 76-year-old singer shouted as he took the stage. Performing is difficult for Osbourne, who announced in 2020 that he suffers from Parkinson’s disease. Touring will no longer be an option, he previously admitted.
Osbourne played a number of songs solo, before being joined for the first time in twenty years by Black Sabbath band members Tony Iommi, Terence “Geezer” Butler and Bill Ward. The band closed their short set with Paranoid, one of their best-known songs.
It was the finale of a day-long metal festival featuring performances by Anthrax, Metallica and Guns N’ Roses, among others. Artists such as Jack Black, Dolly Parton and Elton John sent praise and congratulations. “You are one of the most remarkable singers of our time,” John said. “You are the king, you are the legend.”
Osbourne has long struggled with health problems
Osbourne founded Black Sabbath in Birmingham in 1968. Black Sabbath’s diabolical image and hard sound made them one of the most influential metal bands of the time. Both the band and Osbourne have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Osbourne’s fame expanded to the general public in the early 2000s when he, along with his wife Sharon Osbourne and two of their children, participated in the reality show The Osbournes on MTV.
The singer has struggled with health problems since 2003 after a near-fatal quad crash. In 2020, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s and in 2023 he stopped touring after back surgery.