Sharon Osbourne recently opened up about her husband Ozzy Osbourne’s emotional reaction to his farewell show. She shared intimate details about the Black Sabbath frontman’s final performance in an interview with Pollstar.
The interview revealed Ozzy’s touching realization about his fans’ devotion during his retirement concert “Back to the Beginning.”
“He turned around and he said to me that night, he said, ‘I had no idea that so many people liked me,’” Sharon Osbourne said. “Ozzy’s always been in his own bubble.”
Sharon emphasized the unique nature of Ozzy’s farewell approach. She highlighted how it differed from typical retirement announcements.
“It was the first time, I think, that anybody’s gone into retirement and done it, where the show is streamed and it goes to charity,” she continued. “So it’s the first time anybody has said goodnight like that, it’s the perfect way, when you’ve had such a long career, to end it.”
She also explained her motivation for organizing such a significant farewell event for the heavy metal legend.
“I never wanted Ozzy to just disappear without some big event,” Sharon said. “And it’s the best way then to go home to where it all started, to go to his favorite stadium in the world, which is [home to] his beloved Aston Villa team, and it was just perfect. It was the perfect storm, put it that way.”
The farewell concert took place at Villa Park, the home stadium of Ozzy’s favorite football team, Aston Villa.
Sharon’s vision for Ozzy’s farewell became one of the most significant charity concerts in music history. It demonstrated the massive global impact of the heavy metal icon’s career.
Ara City Radio reported that the event drew 45,000 fans live at Villa Park and was streamed to nearly 5.8 million viewers worldwide, making it a global sensation. The concert became the highest-grossing charity concert ever, raising between $190 and $200 million for three major causes: Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and Acorns Children’s Hospice.
The 10-hour farewell show featured an extraordinary lineup that reflected Ozzy’s influence across generations of rock and metal artists. The Independent noted that Ozzy performed while seated on a winged throne due to health issues. He delivered a powerful farewell alongside his original Black Sabbath bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward for the first time since 2005.
The concert featured legendary guests including Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, and Slayer, under the direction of Tom Morello. This turned the event into an emotional and historic celebration of Ozzy’s career. Parade confirmed that the streaming numbers and charitable impact exceeded all expectations. This cemented the farewell as not just a musical milestone but a humanitarian achievement.
The success of “Back to the Beginning” validated Sharon’s belief that Ozzy deserved a grand farewell befitting his legendary status in rock history. The combination of his hometown venue, charitable purpose, and global reach created the “perfect storm” Sharon had envisioned for her husband’s retirement from touring.
