Ozzy Osbourne Plays Final Song with Black Sabbath at Emotional Farewell Show
For one last night, heavy metal’s godfather did what only he could do — bring every riff-loving, headbanging misfit under one stadium roof to scream, cry and send him off like a true king. Ozzy Osbourne played what he says is his final song with Black Sabbath at Villa Park in Birmingham, the city where it all began. If you missed it, you missed something bigger than just four songs and some nostalgia. You missed the full circle moment metal fans dream about but rarely get to see.
What Made This Night So Special?
First off, this wasn’t just a random festival. This was Back to the Beginning. The name says it all. Sharon Osbourne and Tom Morello helped pull this together as a tribute and a goodbye rolled into one. Ozzy’s been open about his health. Parkinson’s, emphysema — touring and big shows haven’t been in the cards for a while. But if Ozzy was going to say goodbye, he wasn’t going to do it quietly.
James Hetfield from Metallica set the tone. He told the crowd there wouldn’t be a Metallica if Black Sabbath hadn’t come first. No Sabbath, no Master of Puppets, no Hetfield growl that shaped three generations of metalheads. When you hear that from Metallica’s frontman, you feel the weight of what Sabbath built.
And it wasn’t just Metallica. The lineup was a who’s who of rock’s loudest family tree — Slayer, Anthrax, Tool, Pantera, Alice in Chains. Even Dolly Parton, Elton John and Jason Momoa sent love. Where else but an Ozzy tribute do you get the Queen of Country and Aquaman in the same breath?
How Did Ozzy’s Final Sabbath Set Go Down?
By the time Sabbath hit the stage, the crowd had been warmed up with covers, cameos and all-star mashups. Everyone knew what they were really there for: Ozzy, Iommi, Butler and Ward — the original four — together again. The last time that happened? 2005. And even then, the drumming drama kept splintering reunions.
This time, they did it right. They started slow with War Pigs — maybe a bit rusty, but who cared? Once they hit N.I.B. and Iron Man, it felt like no time had passed since the days when Sabbath riffs were scaring parents half to death. Ozzy sat on a black throne, of course. Skulls, batwings — if you’re going to say goodbye, do it in style.
When Paranoid came on, everyone knew it was the real finale. Ozzy paused. He thanked the crowd for a lifetime of madness. You could see it hit him. This was it. He told them, “Your support made it all possible for us to live the lifestyle we do. I love you; we love you.” And you felt it. The whole stadium felt it.
Did Ozzy Still Have That Wild Spark?
Yes. A thousand times yes. Sure, he sat more than he ran around. But when he clapped, grinned and widened those wild eyes, you saw the same maniac who once bit heads off bats and turned every arena into a madhouse.
His solo set before Sabbath’s was peak Ozzy. Crazy Train, Mama, I’m Coming Home — all the emotion, all the growl, all the gratitude. Randy Rhoads footage played behind him, reminding everyone what this music cost, what it gave, and why we never get tired of it.
When he shouted, “All aboard!” for Crazy Train, it wasn’t just a line. It was an invitation to go nuts one last time with him. He gave the people that classic Ozzy moment — the maniacal burst that turned him from a working-class Birmingham kid into the Prince of Darkness.
And through it all, he kept saying the same thing: I love you all. No big spectacle. Just the raw truth that Ozzy’s always been about his people — the fans, the freaks, the riff chasers.
So yeah, this might be his final song with Sabbath. But the echoes of Paranoid and Iron Man are going to ring out of garages and car speakers forever. Ozzy gave everyone one more reason to throw the horns up high. And like Hetfield said, without Sabbath, none of this exists. Not then. Not now. Not ever.
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