Ozzy Osbourne has plans that go beyond the band’s final Black Sabbath performance, despite the fact that he announced he would be retiring after the band’s most recent performance.
Ozzy Osbourne has insisted his final live show next weekend won’t be the end of his career – and he is not the only band member struggling to be ready for the final Black Sabbath gig.
The singer, 76, revealed in a new interview he still has projects he hopes to complete despite his Parkinson’s disease. Ozzy told Metal Hammer magazine: “I am very blessed to say my goodbyes with the help of so many amazing musicians and friends. From the late 60s, we are probably one of the only bands where the original members are still alive and speaking with one another, as my wife says, it’s an invisible bond that can’t be broken.”
He continued, “I still enjoy doing my own work.” I also enjoy singing at other people’s music. I’ll continue to record if the projects appeal to me for the foreseeable future. It is very significant.
However, Ozzy is not the only Black Sabbath member who needs to focus on getting ready for their final performance at Villa Park, Back To The Beginning, on Saturday.
Drummer Bill Ward hasn’t played a stadium performance in a while. In his late 70s, he is preparing for what will be a physically demanding performance the following weekend.
He said: “I played for two hours yesterday, very loud. I’m doing sparring, boxing that keeps my upper body fit.”
When asked if he is returning to the band for another reason, he replies, “They’re still my brothers. They’ll always be my brothers. No matter how heated our disagreements are. I was a child of them. They are my favorites.
Bill continued, “Black Sabbath was the best thing that ever occurred to me.” If I had been a lost child in my teenage years, I would have had to identify with only drums and rock and roll.
He continued, “I knew we were good from the first time we played together; I believed we could do a lot of damage, change things, and take us to a new dimension,” adding from his Southern California home. And we succeeded.
Without Bill, bass player Geezer Butler said, “I wouldn’t have thought about it.” The original four of us playing together was the main goal of this last show’s conclusion.
Tony Iommi, a guitarist, said, “Sabath is over for me. This will be done, and that is it.
How do I want to be remembered? for the solutions we offered. for promoting the music and encouraging other bands to advance.
Ozzy and Black Sabbath will play their final performance at Villa Park in Birmingham on July 5th as part of a concert titled “Back To The Beginning.”
For the first time in 20 years, this show will bring together the original band members, including Bill Ward, Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Tony Ward.
Without Ward on the drums, the band played its “last” gig in 2017 in Birmingham with Osborne, guitarist Iommi, and bassist Butler.
Ozzy, who has Parkinson’s disease, described last month how he has been receiving physical therapy and training in Los Angeles in an effort to get fit enough to perform on stage after battling a list of ailments.
Sharon, Ozzy’s wife, stated that he collaborates with his therapist daily. He’s actually doing really well. Because of his fans, Ozzy’s top priority in life is to be ready for them, making this show the ideal ending.
* Black Sabbath – End of an Era, by Mirror Collection, can be ordered HERE.
