Sharon Osbourne recently addressed widespread media reports claiming Black Sabbath earned massive profits from their farewell show. She called the figures completely inaccurate in an interview with Pollstar.
Osbourne expressed frustration with the false financial reports circulating about the band’s earnings from their final performance.
“One of the things that’s frightening me is all this false press about [how], we’ve made $140 million and all of this, and I’m like, God, I wish we could have, for one gig,” she said. “It’s just ridiculous, the different stories. I went on the internet the next morning and it was like, $140 million, $160 million. And I’m like, Where does this stuff come from?”
She explained that calculating the actual profits will take considerable time due to the complexity of the expenses involved.
“It takes a really long time [to work out the sums involved], because we’ve had all of the bands that we had come in and their expenses, and it’ll take a good six weeks to get the final number,” Osbourne continued.
When Pollstar writer Ray Waddell noted how these inflated reports might affect charitable expectations, Osbourne emphasized the reality of the situation.
“Oh my God! It’s the Children’s Hospital, a children’s hospice, and Parkinson’s research,” she responded. “Everybody thinks that they’re going to cure everything with this much money, but it’s not the real world.”
The farewell show took place at Villa Park in Birmingham. It marked a significant milestone in rock history as both Ozzy Osbourne’s final performance and Black Sabbath’s ultimate goodbye to their fans.
Pollstar reported that the concert sold out 40,000 tickets with millions more watching online and in rock clubs worldwide. The event featured an impressive lineup of metal legends including Anthrax, Disturbed, and Metallica. Many of these artists had connections to Sharon and Ozzy’s Ozzfest festival, adding to the show’s historical significance.
The emotional impact of the farewell extended beyond financial considerations. American Songwriter revealed that Ozzy was deeply moved by the overwhelming fan support throughout the evening.
“He turned around and he said to me that night, ‘I had no idea that so many people liked me,’” Sharon revealed. “Ozzy’s always been in his own bubble.”
The concert represented more than just a farewell performance. Ultimate Classic Rock highlighted that the event served as a fitting tribute to Ozzy Osbourne’s legendary career spanning over five decades. It brought together multiple generations of metal fans for one final celebration.
The comments highlight the disconnect between media speculation and the actual financial reality of major concert productions. They also underscore the emotional resonance of the event as a proper send-off for one of rock’s most iconic figures.
