BREAKING: Black Sabbath GUITARIST Tony Iommi C…read more.
In a quiet, deeply personal moment that’s now etched into rock history, Tony Iommi the legendary guitarist of Black Sabbath has opened up about the final words Ozzy Osbourne ever said to him. As the world continues to mourn the loss of one of music’s most unforgettable voices, Iommi’s heartfelt memories have offered fans a window into the emotional bond that tied the two together for more than five decades.
Ozzy Osbourne passed away peacefully earlier this week at the age of 76, surrounded by loved ones. His death comes just weeks after Black Sabbath’s final reunion performance a show that, in hindsight, feels like a carefully written farewell.
For Iommi, who first met Ozzy as a teenager in Birmingham, this loss isn’t just the death of a bandmate it’s the loss of a lifelong friend, a brother.
“He called me a few days before he passed,” Iommi said quietly in a sit-down with Kerrang! magazine. “He just wanted to talk. His voice was softer than I’d ever heard it. Not weak… just peaceful. He told me, ‘We’ll always be brothers, no matter what. Tell the lads I love ’em.’ That was the last thing he ever said to me.”
Iommi paused as he recalled the moment. His voice cracked, his fingers fiddled with his cross necklace the same one he’s worn on stage for decades. The emotion was still raw.
“It hit me like a hammer,” he said. “Because deep down, I knew what he was doing. He was saying goodbye.”
Their story began in the gritty streets of Birmingham in the late 1960s, two working-class kids with a dream and a bit of madness. Along with bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward, they formed Black Sabbath and unwittingly created heavy metal. Ozzy’s eerie vocals, Iommi’s doom-laden riffs it was lightning in a bottle.
But their relationship wasn’t always easy. Years of success, substance abuse, and personal struggles strained their friendship. Ozzy was famously kicked out of Sabbath in 1979, and for many years, they drifted apart. Yet somehow, through all the chaos, their connection never fully broke.
“We’d fight like brothers,” Iommi said with a faint smile. “But we always found our way back to each other. There was something unspoken between us. No matter what happened no matter how bad things got the love was always there. He could be mad as hell, and five minutes later, he’d hug you and say, ‘You daft sod, I love ya.’ That was Ozzy.”
Their final performance together a surprise reunion of the original Sabbath lineup was an emotional rollercoaster. Iommi said that during rehearsals, he could see the toll it was taking on Ozzy’s body, but Ozzy was determined to go out doing what he loved most.
“He was hurting. He told me, ‘My body’s shot, but my voice still works let’s use it one last time.’ And he meant it. That show… it was magic. There were tears backstage. We all knew what it meant, even if we didn’t say it out loud.”
Bill Ward, who had been away from the band for years before the final show, shared a deeply emotional reunion with Ozzy backstage.
“He grabbed me and wouldn’t let go,” Ward said. “He said, ‘No regrets, Bill. We did something no one else could ever do.’ It felt like closure not just for the band, but for our friendship.”
Geezer Butler also shared a few words: “Ozzy wasn’t just the frontman. He was the soul of Sabbath. That last hug… I’ll never forget it. It said everything.”
Since the news of his passing, tributes have poured in from around the globe. From Metallica’s James Hetfield calling him “the godfather of us all,” to younger artists like Ghost’s Tobias Forge who described Ozzy as “the blueprint,” the rock world is unified in grief and gratitude.
Outside Birmingham’s Genting Arena, where the final show took place, fans have turned the gates into a memorial. Flowers, candles, handwritten notes, Black Sabbath records, and even a few bats fake ones have been left in tribute.
Among the fan tributes, one sign reads: “The stage is dark now, but the echo of your scream will never fade.”
Tony Iommi is still processing the loss. He’s spending time with family and avoiding interviews, but said he felt it was important to share those final moments with Ozzy for himself, and for the fans.
“The last thing I told him was, ‘I love you, mate.’ I don’t know if I’ll ever stop missing him. But I do know this he went out knowing he was loved. And that matters.”
After all the years, all the madness, all the music, Ozzy’s final message wasn’t about the fame, or the glory. It was about the people he shared the journey with. His brothers.
“We’ll always be brothers,” Iommi repeated, voice barely a whisper. “He meant it. And I’ll carry that with me forever.”
