EXCLUSIVE: Ozzy Osbourne has plans that go beyond the final Black Sabbath gig – despite announcing that he will be retiring after the band’s last ever 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 added: “I still enjoy doing my own work. I also enjoy singing on other people’s work. For the foreseeable future, I will keep on recording if the projects interest me. It’s very important.”
But Ozzy is not the only Black Sabbath member needing to prepare hard for their final show next weekend at Villa Park, called Back To The Beginning.
Drummer Bill Ward hasn’t played a stadium gig for many years. He is building up to what will be a physically demanding performance next weekend, in his late 70s.
He said: “I played for two hours yesterday, very loud. I’m doing sparring, boxing that keeps my upper body fit.”
Asked for the other reason why he is returning to the band he says “They’re still my brothers. They’ll always be my brothers. It doesn’t matter how much we argue. I grew up with them. I love them.”
Bill added: “Black Sabbath was the best thing that ever happened to me. My life would have been terrible otherwise I was a lost kid in my teenage years, all I could identify with was drums and rock and roll.”
Speaking from his home in Southern California, he added: “I knew we were good from the first time we played with each other, I had this feeling inside that we could do something bold and strange and could do a lot of damage and change things and propel us into a different dimension. And we did.”
Bass player Geezer Butler told Metal Hammer magazine: “I wouldn’t have contemplated it without Bill. The whole point of this last show was to finish with the original four of us playing together.”
Guitarist Tony Iommi added: “For me, it’s all over with Sabbath. We’ll do this and then that’s it.
“How do I want to be remembered? For what we brought to the table. For bringing the music out and inspiring other bands to build on it.”
Ozzy and Black Sabbath will headline their final gig on July 5th at Villa Park in Birmingham, as part of an event titled “Back To The Beginning”.
This show will reunite the original band members – Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward – for the first time in 20 years.
The band played its “last” gig in 2017 in Birmingham with Osborne, guitarist Iommi and bassist Butler but without Ward on drums.
Ozzy, who is suffering from Parkinson’s disease, told last month how he has been having physical therapy and training with a trainer virtually living with him in Los Angeles in a bid to get him fit enough to perform on stage after a catalogue of illnesses.
Ozzy’s wife Sharon said: “Ozzy’s working with his therapist every single day. He’s doing really well, actually. Ozzy’s number one thing in life is his fans, so he’s working hard to be ready for them, to make this show the perfect way to end things.”
* Black Sabbath – End of an Era, by Mirror Collection, can be ordered HERE.
