Ozzy Osbourne spent his last days ‘re-energized' by final concert
Sources close to the Osbourne family tell Page Six that Prince of Darkness had the best possible exit, thanks to his final concert just days before his death.
The rock god had been battling chronic conditions for decades, but, we're told, had been noticably flagging in recent months.
But insiders say Black Sabbath's Back To The Beginning show on July 5 made him a much younger man for his last days of his life.
'It energized him — it filled him with life,' a longtime pal of the metal monarch said of the show, 'He'd really been slowing down, and then after the show he was really back to be being himself. It's a beautiful ending.'
The show at Aston Park Stadium — which was the first time the original Sabbath lineup had played together since 2005 — was just a couple of miles from where the band formed in 1969.
Osbourne, who had been battling Parkinson's among other illnesses since the early 2000s, sat in a special black-and-purple throne for the performance, but sang hits including 'War Pigs,' 'N.I.B.,' 'Iron Man,' and 'Paranoid' from his chair.
'God bless each and every one of you,' he said to the heaving crowd before leaving the stage for the last time.
Metal gods including Metallica, Anthrax, Slayer, Pantera and Alice In Chains also played the benefit, which raised nearly $200 million for causes including the search for a cure for Parkinson's.
Insiders say that the post-show high lasted through the remaining 17 days of his life. 'They couldn't have asked for a better ending,' said the insider.
Osbourne died in his native United Kingdom surrounded by his family — including Jack, Kelly and Sharon Osbourne — on July 22.
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