Ozzy Osbourne Prepares for Likely Final Bow

Heavy metal icon to reunite with original Black Sabbath bandmates in Birmingham.

After decades of rock ‘n’ roll excess, including substance abuse, brushes with the law, and a battle with Parkinson’s disease, **Ozzy Osbourne** is preparing for what may be his final performance in front of devoted fans.

Birmingham Homecoming

The farewell concert, entitled “Back to the Beginning,” is scheduled for Villa Park in **Birmingham**, bringing **Osbourne** back to his roots. The football stadium stands near his childhood home in the Aston suburbs. As a boy, **Ozzy** and his friends earned pocket money by watching cars during match days.

Before finding fame, **Osbourne** worked in a factory and a slaughterhouse, where he joked about putting cow eyes in pub patrons’ drinks.

The Birth of Black Sabbath

Seeking escape from mundane labor, **Osbourne** advertised for bandmates. This led to the formation of Black Sabbath with guitarist **Tony Iommi**, bassist/songwriter **Guiser Butler**, and drummer **Bill Ward**. Their powerful rhythms, heavy riffs, and dark imagery set the standard for heavy metal.

Fans admired the band’s humble beginnings. “They started with absolutely nothing to be world superstars,” said **Joe Porter**, 47, from **Birmingham**. “If you watch their early concerts, they have mainly equipment – a sound apparatus, a small drum set, bass and guitar and that’s all. The sound they could betray from these four instruments was on stage 20 people S And **Ozzie** is like crazy on stage, but he’s just just a normal person.”

Enduring Appeal

The band’s appeal has transcended generations, evident in the Ozzy Osborne: The hero of the working class exhibition at the **Birmingham** Museum and Art Gallery.

“They began to work in the year my mother was born, in the 68th,” noted 21-year-old **Byron Howard-Maryage**. “I am a big fan of metal, so the fact that the founders come back to where it all started is really exciting.”

Another fan, **Riley Beresford**, 25, inherited a copy of Sabbath’s 1970 single “Paranoid” from his grandmother. “She bought a Paranoid at seven inch vinyl and then handed it to my mother, and now she surrenders to me. She is passed on through the family.

They made heavy metal, didn’t they? Obviously, the music is great, but the fact that **Ozzie** is like wild only makes it even stronger. There is no one else like him, really, right?

“I think the reason people love **Ozzy** is that he is still very authentic,” said **Toby Watley**, director of **Birmingham** museum collections.

He sees as a boy in the Aston working class. He hasn’t really changed. What you see is what you get. There is no passing through a Hollywood lens, nor the glamorous presented in any way. People really love it and respect it. This is something that **Birmingham** can really be proud of.”

The exhibition features artifacts provided by **Ozzy** and his wife **Sharon**, including gold records, awards, and Grammy Awards.

Infamous Antics

**Osbourne’s** wild antics have become legendary, like biting the head off a bat onstage in **Iowa** in 1982. In another incident, he urinated on the Alamo while wearing one of **Sharon’s** dresses.

In 1989, **Osbourne** was arrested for suspicion of attempted murder of **Sharon**. He has no memory of the event, and she later dropped the charges.

Health Challenges

Despite stopping drinking in 2003, **Osbourne** has faced numerous health challenges, including a broken neck from an ATV accident, a Parkinson’s diagnosis, and a spinal injury from a fall. According to the Parkinson’s Foundation, about 90,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease each year (Parkinson’s Foundation).

Fans are curious about **Osbourne’s** condition for his performance. When inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist, he sat on a throne adorned with skulls and a bat.

**Sharon Osbourne** has indicated that this concert will likely be his last. “Do you know when I’m going to retire? he said in a 2020 documentary When I can hear them nail the lid on my box. And then I’ll make a bis.”