BREAKING: Black Sabbath Founder Tony Iommi Pa…read more.
The heavy metal world is still grieving the loss of one of its most iconic voices, Ozzy Osbourne. But as the mourning continues, Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi has shared a deeply personal insight into Ozzy’s final performance a moment that now feels even more powerful in light of his passing.
According to Iommi, Ozzy didn’t just perform that final farewell show because he had to. He fought for it.
“Honestly, Ozzy wasn’t well,” Iommi admitted in a recent interview, his voice heavy with emotion. “He’d been through so much physically operations, Parkinson’s, constant pain. But none of that stopped him. He was determined to get back on stage. He really held out for that gig. He wasn’t going to let go without saying goodbye.”
It wasn’t just another concert. Held in their hometown of Birmingham, the final Black Sabbath show was always meant to be something special. What fans didn’t see was what Ozzy endured behind the scenes fighting through tremors, pain, fatigue, and more just to stand under the spotlight one last time.
Iommi said there were times they weren’t sure it would happen. “Some days, he could barely stand. We didn’t want to push him, but he kept saying, ‘I’ve got to do this, Tony. One more time. For the fans, for us.’ And somehow, he did.”
For those lucky enough to be in the arena that night, it was an unforgettable moment. As Ozzy took the stage, you could see it on his face—his body may have been weakening, but his spirit burned brighter than ever. He smiled through the pain. He screamed through the struggle. Every lyric, every note, every shout of “Let me see your hands!” felt like a gift being handed out by a man who knew time was running short.
“He was in pain, no doubt,” Iommi continued, his eyes welling up. “But up there on that stage, with the crowd screaming and the band locked in—it was like the years melted away. He gave us everything he had left in him. And that’s Ozzy. That’s the man I’ve known for over 50 years.”
Fans who were present now say it was more than a concert it was a farewell wrapped in love, grit, and raw emotion. From the opening riff of “War Pigs” to the final thunder of “Paranoid,” the setlist carried the weight of legacy, passion, and goodbye. But nobody, not even the band, realized just how final it would be.
Just a few days later, Ozzy Osbourne passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by his family. He was 76.
Geezer Butler, longtime bassist for the band, also shared his thoughts on Ozzy’s last stand. “He didn’t want people to remember him as sick or broken. He wanted them to remember that Ozzy the one who got up there and gave everything, no matter what it cost him.”
Indeed, for all the headlines over the years the antics, the controversies, the outrageous stories Ozzy’s farewell showed the side many often missed: the fighter, the professional, the man with a deep love for his band, his fans, and his music.
Tony Iommi paused for a moment as he reflected on that night. “I remember when we walked off stage, he turned to me and said, ‘That’s it, isn’t it?’ And I just nodded. We didn’t need words. We knew. But he looked proud like he’d finally laid something to rest.”
That final concert is now set to be released as a live album and documentary, allowing fans across the world to experience the magic and the courage of Ozzy’s final bow.
As the world continues to say goodbye to a true legend, Tony Iommi’s words serve as a reminder of the man behind the myth: not just the Prince of Darkness, but a passionate, stubborn, loving soul who gave everything he had to music until his very last breath.
“He held out,” Iommi said again, softly. “He held out for all of us.”
