With Ozzy Osbourne passing away at 76 on Tuesday, the music industry and fans began to process the news. As more and more tributes poured in, many looked back at his final performance, which took place just two weeks ago. Ozzy took the stage one last time with Black Sabbath. The Back to the Beginning concert was a historic moment in the legacy of Ozzy. And knowing how much work went into the concert, Tony Iommi suggested that the Prince of Darkness “held out” so he could perform one last time and thank fans.
Opening up about losing his former bandmate and friend, Iommi felt that Ozzy knew his time was short. “I think he really just held out to do that show. I really feel – and me and Geezer (Butler) were talking about it last night – that we think he held out to do it, and just after that, he’s done it and said goodbye to the fans. And that was the end of it, really.”
While mourning Ozzy’s death, Iommi loved the fact that they got the chance to share the stage for the last time. Knowing how much the performance meant to Ozzy, he added, “I think he must have had something in his head that said, ‘Well, this is gonna be it, the last thing I’m ever gonna do.’ Whether he thought he was gonna die or what, I don’t know. But he really wanted to do it, and he was determined to do it. And fair dues, he’s done it.”
Tony Iommi Remembers Last Conversation With Ozzy Osbourne
While helping produce the concert alongside Sharon Osbourne, Iommi also shared a great deal of time with Ozzy. And at the time of his death, the musician couldn’t process the news, especially given the fact that he received a text from Ozzy the day before. “When I heard, it couldn’t sink in. I thought, ‘It can’t be.’ I only had a text from him the day before. It just seemed unreal, surreal. And in the night, I started thinking about it: ‘God, am I dreaming all this?’ But as I said before, he’s not looked well through the rehearsals.”
With Iommi and the rest of heavy metal celebrating the life and legacy of Ozzy, the musician recalled the last conversation they shared. “He came around before he was leaving on a wheelchair that brought him in to say goodbye and have a little chat for a bit, and he seemed alright. He enjoyed it. And he said, ‘Oh, it went all right, didn’t it?’ I said, ‘Yeah, it did.’”
Though passing away after struggling with Parkinson’s, Ozzy’s contributions to heavy metal will never fade away, as the Prince of Darkness was more than a singer – he was an icon.
(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
