Ozzy Osbourne’s deteriorating health came as a shock to his bandmate Geezer Butler before the Black Sabbath farewell show on July 5.
The Black Sabbath bassist shared details of Osbourne’s final performance, including how “frail” he had become, in an essay for the Sunday Times. Butler said the iconic rocker needed the assistance of three people while rehearsing and had to sit down while he sang.
“I knew he wasn’t in good health, but I wasn’t prepared to see how frail he was,” Butler wrote. “He was helped into the rehearsal room by two helpers and a nurse and was using a cane — being Ozzy, the cane was black and studded with gold and precious stones.”
“He didn’t really say much beyond the usual greetings and when he sang, he sat in a chair,” Butler continued. “We ran through the songs but we could see it was exhausting him after six or seven songs.”
Butler also observed that Osbourne was not as talkative.
“We had a bit of a chat, but he was really quiet compared with the Ozzy of old,” he shared.
The final show, which took place in Birmingham, England where the band was formed, ended awkwardly.
“Normally, we would all hug each other and take a bow to the audience. But Ozzy was on his throne and we hadn’t thought that out,” Butler said. “What do we do? Tony [Iommi] shook his hand, I presented him with a cake, but it was such a strange feeling to end our story like that.”
“I wish I’d had more time backstage with Ozzy, but wishes are redundant now,” he continued. “As Ozzy used to say: ‘Wish in one hand and s–t in the other and see which comes first.’”
Butler described the softer side of Osbourne in his essay, noting he had “a heart of gold.”
“But if you were a friend in need, Ozzy was always there for you,” he wrote. “When my son was born with a heart defect, Ozzy called me every day to see how I was coping, even though we hadn’t spoken for a year.”
Osbourne died on July 22 at 76 years old.
A source told Page Six that Osbourne was “re-energized” by his final Black Sabbath concert that took place just two weeks before he died.
“It energized him — it filled him with life,” a longtime pal told us. “He’d really been slowing down, and then after the show he was really back to be being himself. It’s a beautiful ending.”
Osbourne had health issues for years prior to his death. He revealed in January 2020 that he had secretly been battling Parkinson’s disease for more than 15 years.
He also sustained serious neck injuries from a 2003 quad biking accident. In May 2022, the heavy metal icon shared that he could no longer “walk properly” and would be undergoing a “life-altering” neck surgery.
His family — wife Sharon Osbourne and children Jack, Kelly, Aimee and Louis — said he died with his family and “surrounded by love” in a statement obtained by Page Six.
The rock star reportedly spent his final days “in peace” in his home country.
“Ozzy’s final days were spent in England, surrounded by family, music and in the place he called home,” a source told People. “He was in peace.”
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