BLACK SABBATH Reunion Concert Will Be OZZY OSBOURNE’s ‘Full Stop’: He ‘Didn’t Have A Chance To Say Goodbye To His Fans’

Sharon Osbourne spoke to BBC News and Reuters about BLACK SABBATH’s upcoming reunion concert, which will take place on July 5 in the band’s original hometown of Birmingham, United Kingdom.Ozzy and the rest of the original BLACK SABBATH lineup — guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward — will perform one last time as part a fundraising event at Villa Park, featuring a host of bands they inspired, including METALLICA, PANTERA, SLAYER, GOJIRA and ANTHRAX.The concert, dubbed “Back To The Beginning”, was announced at Villa Park on Wednesday (February 5) by Sharon and Tony.Proceeds from the show will support Cure Parkinson’s, the Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Acorn Children’s Hospice, a Children’s Hospice supported by Aston Villa.The concert will mark the first time that Osbourne, Iommi, Butler and Ward have played together in 20 years.Ozzy, who revealed in 2020 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, will play a short solo set before joining his SABBATH bandmates for the show’s finale, marking his last-ever concert.Sharon told BBC News about Ozzy: “He’s doing great. He’s doing really great. He’s so excited about this, about being with the guys again and all his friends. It’s exciting for everyone.”According to Sharon, Ozzy, who paused touring “for now” in 2023 after extensive spinal surgery and rescheduled his “No More Tours 2″ shows from going ahead several times because of illness, the pandemic and logistical issues, will not play any more shows after the Villa Park event.”Ozzy didn’t have a chance to say goodbye to his friends, to his fans, and he feels there’s no been no full stop,” she explained. “This is his full stop.”In addition, there will be a performance by a “supergroup of musicians” including Duff McKagan and Slash (GUNS ‘N’ ROSES),Billy Corgan (THE SMASHING PUMPKINS),Fred Durst (LIMP BIZKIT),K.K. Downing (JUDAS PRIEST),Jake E. Lee (OZZY OSBOURNE),Wolfgang Van Halen (VAN HALEN, MAMMOTH WVH) and Tom Morello (RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE).”It’s an endless amount of people,” said Sharon. “They’re going to be doing some SABBATH songs, some Ozzy songs, and they’ll all mix together. Different little groups will be coming on, but they’re all icons.”The original lineup of BLACK SABBATH last performed in 2005. Since then, SABBATH has played in partial reunions but never in its original lineup.”For Ozzy right now, it’s definitely: ‘I love you and good night’,” Sharon told Reuters.She added that Ozzy was doing well and excited about the gig. “It’s stimulated him,” she said. “He’s very, very excited and very thankful that he can do it.”Tickets will go on sale on February 14.BLACK SABBATH is considered a pioneer of heavy metal and was formed in 1968 in Aston, Birmingham.BLACK SABBATH has sold over 75 million albums worldwide and were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2006, awarded a Lifetime Ivor Novello Songwriting Award in 2015 and were presented with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019.The band has a star on the Broad Street Walk Of Stars in Birmingham, alongside individual stars in their own right, together with a bench in their honor.In February 2017, SABBATH finished “The End” tour in Birmingham, closing out the quartet’s groundbreaking 49-year career.”The End” was SABBATH’s last tour because Iommi — who was diagnosed with lymphoma in late 2011 — can no longer travel for extended amounts of time.Iommi revealed his cancer diagnosis in early 2012, shortly after SABBATH announced a reunion tour and album. He underwent treatment throughout the recording of the disc, titled “13”, and the subsequent tour to promote it.The BLACK SABBATH guitarist successfully underwent an operation in January 2017 to remove a noncancerous lump from his throat.”13″ was the first album in 35 years to feature Iommi, Osbourne and Butler all playing together.Ward was on board for the SABBATH reunion when it was first announced 11 years ago, but backed out soon after. The drummer later claimed that he sat out the recording and touring sessions because of unfair contractual terms, although the members of SABBATH have hinted in other interviews that he wasn’t physically up to the task.All four original members of SABBATH were present when the band announced its final reunion in late 2011. But Ward split from the group in 2012, citing an “unsignable” contract, and Osbourne, Iommi and Butler carried on with their Rick Rubin–produced “13” LP and extensive international touring without him.