Published by Cel Manero from Global One Media Inc.
The legendary heavy metal icon will join forces with the original Black Sabbath lineup for the first time in two decades.
Legendary heavy metal artist Ozzy Osbourne has announced that he will take the stage one final time this summer at a charity concert in the UK.
The 76-year-old British rocker will reunite with his former band, Black Sabbath, for the first time in 20 years at the event, according to USA Today. Osbourne has faced ongoing health challenges in recent years following his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis.
“Ozzy never got the opportunity to properly say goodbye to his fans, and he feels there hasn’t been a real conclusion,” his wife, Sharon Osbourne, told the BBC on Wednesday. “This performance will be his full stop.”
Set for July 5, the charity concert will also feature renowned metal bands like Metallica, Slayer, and Pantera, among others. Organizers confirmed that proceeds will support various charities, including Cure Parkinson’s.
“This is my chance to give back to the place where I was born,” Osbourne shared in a statement about the event. “I’m incredibly fortunate to do it alongside people I love. Birmingham will always be the heart of metal.”
Osbourne previously shared that he believed he had “about 10 years left” and expressed his desire to give fans a proper farewell performance.
“I’m taking it one day at a time, and if I’m able to perform again, I will,” he said in 2023, as reported by The Daily Wire. “But stepping away from touring felt like saying goodbye to the greatest relationship of my life. At first, I was furious—with myself, the doctors, and the world. But over time, I’ve come to realize that I might just have to accept it.”
Determined to give his best, Osbourne made it clear he wouldn’t return to the stage unless he could deliver a performance worthy of his legacy. “I’m not going to do a half-hearted show just to gain sympathy,” he said. “What’s the point of that? I won’t be rolling up there in a wheelchair. I saw Phil Collins perform recently—he’s dealing with similar issues—and he’s on stage in a wheelchair. But I couldn’t do that.”
Osbourne also admitted that not getting the chance to properly say goodbye to his fans had been “one of the things that’s frustrated me the most.”
“If I can’t keep performing regularly, I at least want to be well enough to do one final show where I can say, ‘Hey guys, thank you for my life,’” he shared at the time. “That’s what I’m working toward, and if I drop dead at the end of it, I’ll go out a happy man.”
