In early 2025, fans were thrilled to hear that the original Black Sabbath lineup—Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward—would reunite for one last show. This concert, called Back to the Beginning, was set for July 5 at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, and would also be Ozzy’s final live performance. Sadly, he passed away just over two weeks after the show.
The lineup for the concert was impressive, featuring big names like Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Slayer, Tool, Pantera, Alice in Chains, Gojira, Lamb of God, Halestorm, Anthrax, Rival Sons, and Mastodon. Music director Tom Morello organized all-star jams with artists like Billy Corgan, Yungblud, David Draiman, Sammy Hagar, Steven Tyler, Adam Jones, Danny Carey, Travis Barker, Tobias Forge, and Chad Smith. Fans who couldn’t attend could watch the concert online.
Despite the excitement, there were concerns about Ozzy’s health, as he hadn’t performed a full set in over six years. He mentioned that he and Sabbath would only play a couple of songs each, saying, “I’ll do the best I can.”
On concert day, Ozzy took the stage after hours of performances. He started with his solo band, playing hits like “Crazy Train” and “Mama, I’m Coming Home.” He then joined his Sabbath bandmates for classics like “War Pigs” and “Paranoid.”
After the show, tributes poured in for Ozzy, celebrating his impact on music and culture. Sadly, on July 22, it was announced that he had passed away at 76. A funeral procession took place in Birmingham on July 30, and the MTV Video Music Awards honored him with a tribute on September 7. The Osbourne family also shared their memories, bringing back The Osbournes Podcast.
