OZZY OSBOURNE Promises To Do His 'Best' At His Final Concert, But Admits He 'May Be Sitting Down' While Performing

Ozzy Osbourne says that he will "do the best" he can when he plays his final gig this summer.

The legendary heavy metal singer announced his last-ever performance on February 5, revealing that the original members of BLACK SABBATH are reuniting for the first time in 20 years for the show. Joining them at the concert called "Back To The Beginning", which will take place on July 5 at at Villa Park in Birmingham, United Kingdom, will be a host of metal bands SABBATH inspired, including METALLICA, SLAYER, LAMB OF GOD, MASTODON, PANTERA and ANTHRAX.

Ozzy — who hasn't played a full show since late 2018, before undergoing extensive spinal surgery and revealing he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease — told The Guardian about the upcoming concert: "I'll be there, and I'll do the best I can. So all I can do is turn up."

Addressing his physical ailments, Ozzy said: "You wake up the next morning and find that something else has gone wrong. You begin to think this is never going to end."

He said the SABBATH reunion concert was conceived by his wife and manager, Sharon, as "something to give me a reason to get up in the morning".

"I do weights, bike riding, I've got a guy living at my house who's working with me. It's tough — I've been laid up for such a long time," Ozzy said. "I've been lying on my back doing nothing and the first thing to go is your strength. It's like starting all over again. I've got a vocal coach coming round four days a week to keep my voice going. I have problems walking. I also get blood pressure issues, from blood clots on my legs."

The singer continued: "I'm used to doing two hours on stage, jumping and running around. I don't think I'll be doing much jumping or running around this time. I may be sitting down."

He added: "We're only playing a couple of songs each. I don't want people thinking 'we're getting ripped off', because it's just going to be … what's the word? … a sample, you're going to get a few songs each by Ozzy and SABBATH."

This past February, Sharon told The Sun that her husband is struggling to walk amid his battle with Parkinsons disease, but that his singing voice is "as good as ever". She said: "[Ozzy's] very happy to be coming back and very emotional about this.

"Parkinson's is a progressive disease. It's not something you can stabilize. It affects different parts of the body and it's affected his legs. But his voice is as good as it's ever been."

On last month's episode of SiriusXM's Ozzy Speaks, Ozzy offered a health update, saying: "I'm in heavy training for this ['Back To The Beginning' concert] that's coming up. I haven't done anything for — this will be seven years [since I played a full concert], and so I've been through all this surgery. It really is like starting from scratch."

Asked what sort of training he is going through at the moment, Ozzy said: "Well, it's endurance training. The first thing to go when you're laid up is your stamina, so believe it or not, I'm doing two sets of three-minute walks a day and weight training. I've gotta get going, you know."

He explained: "I'm waking up in my body. I mean, three minutes to you, for instance, is nothing, but I've been laying on my back recovering from umpteen surgeries."

As for what his appearance at ["Back To The Beginning" might entail, Ozzy said: "I'm not planning on doing a set with BLACK SABBATH but I am doing little bits and pieces with them. I am doing what I can, where I feel comfortable."

The 76-year-old heavy metal singer, who revealed in 2020 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, added that he is doing what he can to get ready for the Villa Park concert.

"I am trying to get back on my feet," he said. "When you get up in the morning, you just jump out of bed. I have to balance myself, but I'm not dead. I'm still actively doing things."

Ozzy talked in more detail about his condition on his SiriusXM radio show. 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."

Proceeds from the "Back To The Beginning" 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, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward have played together in 20 years.

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."

The legendary BLACK SABBATH frontman was diagnosed in 2003 with Parkin 2 — a very rare genetic form of Parkinson's. During a TV appearance in January 2020, the singer disclosed that he was 'stricken" with the disease which occurs when the nerve cells of the body degenerate and levels of dopamine are reduced. Dopamine is an essential chemical that is produced by these nerve cells which send signals to different parts of the brain to control movements of the body.

Ozzy's health issues, including suffering a nasty fall and dislodging metal rods placed in his spine following a quad-bike accident in 2003, as well as catching COVID-19 three years ago, forced him to cancel some of his previously announced tours.

While Osbourne's health issues forced him to scrap most of his live appearances, the musician said he would return if his condition improved.

Osbourne's previously announced European tour with guests JUDAS PRIEST, originally set for 2019 and then rescheduled three times, was officially canceled in early February 2023.

Despite his health problems, Osbourne has performed a couple of times in the last three years, including at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in August 2022 and at the NFL halftime show at the season opener Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills game in September 2022.