Ozzy Osbourne stated he would “die a happy man” if he may specific his gratitude to loyal followers forward of his farewell present.
The legendary Black Sabbath rocker, who was dubbed the Prince of Darkness, died “surrounded by love” Tuesday at age 76.
Earlier than his loss of life, the “Crazy Train” hitmaker was in a position to take to the stage one final time for his “Back to the Beginning” live performance in in Birmingham earlier this month.
Talking to Rolling Stone in 2023, the musician admitted that his last want was to really feel “well enough” for yet one more reside efficiency earlier than his time was up.
“If I can’t continue doing shows on a regular basis, I just want to be well enough to do one show where I can say, ‘Hi guys, thanks so much for my life,’” he instructed the outlet.
“That’s what I’m working towards, and if I drop down dead at the end of it, I’ll die a happy man.”
The rocker’s want got here true on July 5 when he took to the stage for the ultimate time at his Black Sabbath farewell live performance in Birmingham, England.
Ozzy wowed the 42,000-person crowd at Villa Park for what turned out to be his final efficiency in his lifetime.
The “Iron Man” singer, who was battling Parkinson’s illness, sat on stage in a black leather-based chair. He wore a leather-based overcoat and gold armband bearing his title for the big day.
The poignant gig noticed the heavy metallic icon carry out a five-song set by himself, earlier than he was joined by his former bandmates Tony Iommi, Invoice Ward and Geezer Butler for 4 of the group’s songs.
The “Back to the Beginning” live performance, which was hosted by Jason Momoa, additionally featured performances by Metallica, Weapons N’ Roses, Slayer, Software, Pantera, Gojira, Alice in Chains, Halestorm, Lamb of God, Anthrax, Mastodon and Rival Sons.
The present proved doubly particular for Ozzy, as he and spouse Sharon additionally witnessed their daughter Kelly, 40, get engaged to her boyfriend Sid Wilson backstage.
Elsewhere in his 2023 interview, the rocker insisted that he “doesn’t fear death” and was well-aware that he had “at best 10 years left.”
“I don’t fear dying, but I don’t want to have a long, painful and miserable existence. I like the idea that if you have a terminal illness, you can go to a place in Switzerland and get it done quickly. I saw my father die of cancer.”
He went on, “However look, I stated to Sharon [Osbourne] that I’d smoked a joint just lately and she or he stated, ‘What are you doing that for? It’ll f–king kill you!’
“I said, “How long do you want me to f–king live for?!” At finest, I’ve obtained 10 years left and while you’re older, time picks up pace.”
“Me and Sharon had our 41st wedding anniversary recently, and that’s just unbelievable to me,” he added.
