When electric guitar riffs echo through the speakers at Villa Park in Birmingham on July 5, 2025, it will mark not just a concert, but the making of history. Heavy metal pioneers Black Sabbath, reuniting in their original lineup, will grace the stage one final time. At the heart of this historic event stands Ozzy Osbourne, a man whose life has become the stuff of legends.
In what feels like a fairy tale ending, a heavy metal hero tarnished by life’s hardships returns to the spot where it all began, saying goodbye to the stage where his career was launched. “It’s time for me to return to the start…time to give back to the place where I was born. Birmingham is the true home of metal. Birmingham forever,” Osbourne announced earlier this year, heralding what is set to be his last concert. Proceeds from the event will benefit various charities in Birmingham.
Ozzy Osbourne was born in 1948 in the industrial setting of Birmingham, a world shrouded in soot, smoke, and social unrest. The prospects weren’t promising, but music offered him a venue to express his rage, despair, and black humor. Joining forces with Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward, he co-founded Black Sabbath in the late 1960s. Their dark, heavy rock, laced with occult themes and socially critical lyrics, became a generational anthem. Albums like “Paranoid” (1970) and “Master of Reality” (1971) set the blueprint for later heavy metal bands, with Osbourne’s distinct voice becoming iconic.
However, as Black Sabbath’s popularity soared, Osbourne’s personal life spiraled. Lost in a world of alcohol and drugs, his substance abuse became so uncontrollable that in 1979, the band ended his tenure. His most infamous moment came in 1982 when, at a concert in Iowa, he bit the head off a live bat thrown on stage, an event that forever etched him as the “Prince of Darkness.”
Departing the band in 1979 marked another low point for Osbourne, but with his future wife Sharon’s support, he overcame his addictions and ventured into a solo career. His album “Blizzard of Ozz” (1980) quickly found success. The Osbourne family, including his children Kelly and Jack, became a global phenomenon through the reality TV show “The Osbournes,” portraying Osbourne as a foul-mouthed but warm-hearted father.
Osbourne’s later years were marred by health issues, including a battle with Parkinson’s disease, but his love for music and his mythical status kept him pushing forward. The idea for a Black Sabbath reunion concert was born, with Osbourne vowing to give his best at what will be a historic event back where it all started. The concert on July 5, titled “Back to the Beginning,” will be the first time in over two decades that the original lineup has performed together, with metal legends like Metallica, Pantera, and Gojira also set to perform. The spotlight, however, will undoubtedly shine on the moment when Ozzy, Tony, Geezer, and Bill share the stage, marking a dignified farewell to one of rock’s greatest ensembles.
Source: https://www.dw.com/en/ozzy-osbourne-and-black-sabbath-put-on-one-last-show/a-73034464?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf
