On July 5th of this year, one of the greatest legends of heavy metal will bid farewell to the stage in grand style. Ozzy Osbourne , known worldwide as the "Prince of Darkness," will end his long career seated on a throne during Black Sabbath 's final show in Birmingham, England —his hometown. The event bears the symbolic name Back to the Beginning .
The choice to have him seated has nothing to do with extravagance or vanity. At 76, Ozzy is battling Parkinson's disease and medical complications stemming from past accidents, which significantly limits his mobility. His wife and manager, Sharon Osbourne , has stated that Ozzy's voice remains strong, but he can no longer walk as he once did.
Information about the throne was revealed by Zakk Wylde during an interview on the Riff X channel's Metal XS . According to him, the plan is simple: to allow Ozzy to sing comfortably and safely. Wylde even joked that the throne could even "fly" across the stadium.
“The idea is to keep the spirits up. At the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Ozzy sang 'Mama, I'm Coming Home' sitting down and it sounded incredible. So we thought: let's do it like that, and if he likes it, who knows, maybe he'll say 'I want to do another tour'? Then we'll have the throne flying around the stadium, throwing buckets of water, whatever. If he feels good, we're ready to continue,” the guitarist assures.
Despite Zakk Wylde's laid-back tone, the occasion promises to be historic. The festival will feature heavyweight performances , including Metallica , Guns N' Roses, Slayer, Pantera, Tool, Gojira, and other big names. Solo artists will also be present, such as Fred Durst (Limp Bizkit), David Ellefson (ex-Megadeth), Mike Bordin (Faith No More), Sammy Hagar , and Papa V Perpetua (Ghost) .
In addition to Ozzy's solo performance, the original Black Sabbath lineup — featuring Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward — will reunite one last time for this farewell.
READ ALSO: Ozzy Osbourne says he will only perform "small parts" of Black Sabbath's farewell show.
