Music

‘I can’t walk’: Ozzy Osbourne battling through health issues for final Black Sabbath show

Ozzy’s returning to the stage for one final show this July, alongside his Black Sabbath bandmates.

Ozzy Osbourne and his Black Sabbath bandmates are preparing to reunite for one last performance, despite the fact that the Prince of Darkness can no longer walk. 

The concert, dubbed Back To The Beginning, was announced last week by Ozzy's wife Sharon Osbourne and bandmate Tony Iommi at Birmingham's Villa Park, where the event will take place on 5 July.

The headlining performance will be the band's first in twenty years and will see the original line-up of Ozzy, Tony, Bill Ward and Geezer Butler take to the stage together.

Other bands scheduled to perform at the one-day festival include Metallica, Pantera, Lamb Of God, Slayer, Gojira and Anthrax.

The show will also feature a supergroup including Slash, Wolfgang Van Halen, Billy Corgan, Fred Durst and Tom Morello. Huuuuge.

Ozzy hasn’t been able to tour in recent years due to his Parkinson's disease and spinal injuries, but he’s set to play a short solo set before joining his bandmates.

Ozzy’s wife Sharon confirmed that the concert will definitely be his last show. She told Birmingham Live, "For Ozzy, it's goodnight to his fans.

“The other guys in Sabbath will go on to their various projects but for Ozzy, it's definitely farewell. Our friends want to come, and they know it's for charity, so it's brilliant. 

“It's a win-win for everybody... But especially the fans."

Ozzy is one determined man to get back on the stage - especially because his health issues mean he’s not able to walk anymore. 

In an interview with Sirius XM, he said: “I have made it to 2025. I can’t walk, but you know what I was thinking over the holidays? For all my complaining, I’m still alive.

“I may be moaning that I can’t walk but I look down the road and there’s people that didn’t do half as much as me and didn’t make it.”

But despite not being able to walk, Sharon says the man can still sing, telling The Sun, "his voice is as good as it’s ever been.”

Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello, who is serving as the festival's musical director, has declared the event will be "the greatest heavy metal show ever".

Proceeds from the concert will go to Cure Parkinson's, Birmingham Children's Hospital and Acorn Children's Hospice.

What an absolute battler - this show is gonna be epic.

If you’re keen to try head over to Birmingham to see the show, tickets go on sale later this week from Ticketmaster.

Cover Media & The Rock