Sharon Osbourne Says Ozzy Was ‘Very, Very Emotional’ After Black Sabbath’s Final Show

On July 5th, Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath took the stage at Villa Park in their hometown of Birmingham, England, for what was billed as their last-ever performance. The event, titled Back to the Beginning, reunited the band’s original lineup — Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward — for the first time since 2005.

It marked the first time since 2005 that Black Sabbath’s full classic lineup had shared the stage. The reunited band delivered a tight four-song set of their iconic tracks, with Ozzy telling the crowd at the end, “It’s the last song ever. Your support has enabled us to live an amazing lifestyle — thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”

Just over two weeks later, on July 22nd, Ozzy passed away at the age of 76.

In an interview with Pollstar conducted only days before his death, Sharon Osbourne reflected on how much that night meant to her husband. “He turned around and he said to me that night, ‘I had no idea that so many people liked me.’ Ozzy’s always been in his own bubble,” Sharon said. “For Ozzy to play with Bill [Ward] again, he was very, very emotional about that.”

Sharon added: “It was a huge success, because it was a phenomenal event. It was the first time, I think, that anybody’s gone into retirement and done it, where the show is streamed and it goes to charity. So it’s the first time anybody has said goodnight like that — it’s the perfect way, when you’ve had such a long career, to end it.”