Ozzy Osbourne, the legendary heavy metal singer, has shared that he can no longer walk as he prepares for his final live performance. The 76-year-old revealed this on his SiriusXM show, Ozzy’s Boneyard, where he talked about what fans can expect from his upcoming farewell concert.
Ozzy, who has had his fair share of health struggles, mentioned that despite not being able to walk, he’s thankful to still be alive. “I may complain about not being able to walk, but when I think about it, there are people who didn’t get to do as much as me and didn’t make it,” he said.
The big announcement came on Wednesday when Ozzy confirmed that his last performance will take place in his hometown of Birmingham, UK, on July 5. The event will feature Black Sabbath, who will reunite for the first time since 2017 and perform with their original lineup for the first time in 20 years.
Titled Back to the Beginning, the concert will also feature performances from other big names in metal, including Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, Pantera, Lamb of God, Mastodon, Alice in Chains, Halestorm, and Gojira, who recently won a Grammy. Tom Morello, known for his work with Rage Against the Machine, will serve as the musical director for the show, calling it “the greatest heavy metal show ever.”
This event will also serve as a charitable occasion, with all proceeds going to the Cure Parkinson’s charity, which supports research into the disease Ozzy was diagnosed with in 2019.
Sharon Osbourne, Ozzy’s wife and manager, shared with the BBC that this concert is a way for him to wrap up his career. Ozzy’s health has led to many cancellations in recent years, and he didn’t have a chance to properly say goodbye to his fans and friends. Sharon said the concert would offer him a proper “full stop” to his career.
Despite Ozzy’s ongoing health issues, including Parkinson’s disease, Sharon reassured fans that Ozzy is ready for the show. “He’s really excited about this, and so emotional. Parkinson’s affects different parts of the body, and it’s affected his legs, but his voice is as strong as ever,” she said.
