
‘Four kids from Aston' – Black Sabbath members bid farewell to Ozzy Osbourne
In a post on Instagram, Butler paid tribute to his long-time bandmate and friend, reflecting on their final performance together during a farewell concert at Birmingham's Villa Park earlier this month.
'Thanks for all those years- we had some great fun. 4 kids from Aston- who'd have thought, eh?' he captioned an Instagram post.
'So glad we got to do it one last time, back in Aston. Love you.'
The emotional tribute came as bandmates Bill Ward and Tony Iommi also expressed their grief.
Iommi, the band's guitarist, said he was 'devastated' by the news.
'It's just such heartbreaking news that I can't really find the words, there won't ever be another like him,' he wrote on Instagram.
'Geezer, Bill and myself have lost our brother.'
Where will I find you now? In the memories, our unspoken embraces, our missed phone calls, no, you're forever in my heart. Deepest condolences to Sharon and all family members. RIP Sincere regrets to all the fans. Never goodbye. Thank you forever. Bill Ward pic.twitter.com/2HSaIZfkX2
— Bill Ward (@billwarddrums) July 22, 2025
Ward, Black Sabbath's drummer, posted a photo of himself and Osbourne on X, writing: 'Where will I find you now? In the memories, our unspoken embraces, our missed phone calls… no, you're forever in my heart.'
Earlier this month, Osbourne bid farewell to fans with a Black Sabbath reunion, telling thousands of heavy metal enthusiasts at Villa Park – a stone's throw from where the band was formed in 1968 – that it was 'so good to be on this stage' as he performed his last set from a large black throne.
A family statement said: 'It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.'
Singer Yungblud, who performed Changes at the concert on July 5 with a recording of the live cover released for charity, paid tribute to Osbourne, calling him 'the greatest of all time'.
Osbourne and his fellow original Black Sabbath members were the last to appear on stage as part of the star-studded line-up for the Back to the Beginning concert.
A post shared by Geezer Butler (@geezerbutler)
In an Instagram post, the singer, whose real name is Dominic Harrison, shared photos of the moment he gave the late heavy metal singer a cross on a necklace, similar to the one Osbourne had previously given to him.
He wrote: 'I didn't think you would leave so soon the last time we met you were so full of life and your laugh filled up the room.
'But as it is written with legends, they seem to know things that we don't. I will never forget you – you will be in every single note I sing and with me every single time I walk on stage.
'Your cross around my neck is the most precious thing I own. You asked me once if there was anything you could do for me and as I said then and as I will say now for all of us the music was enough. You took us on your adventure – an adventure that started it all.
'I am truly heartbroken. You were the greatest of all time.'
Sir Elton John described Osbourne as a 'huge trailblazer' who 'secured his place in the pantheon of rock gods'.
'He was a dear friend and a huge trailblazer who secured his place in the pantheon of rock gods – a true legend,' Sir Elton wrote on Instagram, adding: 'He was also one of the funniest people I've ever met. I will miss him dearly. To Sharon and the family, I send my condolences and love. Elton xx.'
Osbourne's theatrical stage presence, including once biting off the head of a bat and styling himself as the Prince of Darkness, marked him out as a controversial figure.
Born John Michael Osbourne on December 3 1948, in Aston, Birmingham, he left school at 15 and did odd jobs, including factory work, before teaming up with school friend Butler in several bands.
Black Sabbath went on to become one of the most influential and successful metal bands of all time, selling more than 75 million albums worldwide.
The group were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2006 and Osbourne was added for a second time last year.
He rose to further fame alongside his wife Sharon – whom he married in 1982 and with whom he has three children, Aimee, Jack and Kelly – through their MTV reality TV series The Osbournes.
In 2020, Osbourne revealed he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and he paused touring in 2023 after extensive spinal surgery.
He had a fall at home in 2019, which aggravated injuries from a near-fatal quad bike crash in 2003, stopping his No More Tours 2 shows from going ahead in Europe and the UK.
The tour had previously been rescheduled several times because of illness, the Covid-19 pandemic and logistical issues.
He told Good Morning America in January 2020 that it was discovered he had the neurodegenerative disorder after a fall.
He said: 'I did my last show New Year's Eve at The Forum. Then I had a bad fall. I had to have surgery on my neck, which screwed all my nerves and I found out that I have a mild form.'
He and wife Sharon, who was also his manager, met when she was 18 and they married on July 4 1982 in Hawaii.
Daughter Kelly, 40, duetted with her father on the UK number one single Changes in 2003.
He released his 12th studio album Ordinary Man in 2020, followed by Patient Number 9 in 2022, which went to number three and two in the UK charts, respectively.

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Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne lived a life ripe for a movie adaptation – with one officially in the works since 2021. At the late 76-year-old's final-ever gig on July 5 in his hometown of Birmingham, at Villa Park, his son Jack even had fresh updates on the project promising 'we have a lot of good momentum on the Ozzy biopic'. The rocker's boy revealed there was a director attached, and that the script was completed for the Sony-produced film. 'It is about to go through a script rewrite. It's going to be raw. We are not pulling any punches, we are really laying it all out,' he added to The Sun. An unsuspecting comment that Ozzy himself made on the film has now come to pass with his death on July 22. Discussing the developing project with wife of over four decades Sharon on the Osbournes podcast in 2024, she revealed: 'Movies take forever to make. Forever!' Ozzy's quip in response revealed his hope for the biopic as he commented: 'By the time they finish this film, I'll be dead… I wanna be alive to f***ing see it!' Sadly, that won't be the case for the musician, aka the Prince of Darkness, after a tough few years with his health following a Parkinson's diagnosis after a string of complications due to a fall in 2019. During the same chat, Sharon, 72, shared her hopes for the actress that could play her, suggesting Oppenheimer and We Live in Time star Florence Pugh or 'the little girl from Game Of Thrones' – a likely reference to Bella Ramsey, who portrayed Lyanna Mormont on the show and before starring as Ellie in The Last Of Us. But Ozzy himself had an even more epic answer as to who could take on his rollercoaster of a life and career. In 2010, before the Ozzy biopic was in development, The Nerdist podcast host Chris Hardwick asked him who he would pick to play him in a movie about his life. Without missing a beat, the rocker confidently revealed his pick, simply answering: 'Denzel Washington.' The two-time Oscar winner, who has a career total of 10 Academy Award nominations so far, has previously featured in films as varied as Taining Day, Malcolm X and The Tragedy of Macbeth. In the wake of his death, fans have been sharing Ozzy's witty reaction as they remember him fondly. 'Your turn Denzel – this is what Ozzy Osbourne would've wanted,' posted @screenthrill on Instagram. 'Denzel would nail the role,' responded @yar_zednanref, while Katie added: 'Hopefully someone who is probably working on the Ozzy biopic just needs to make this happen (or maybe put Denzel in a post credit scene where he's singing Crazy Train or War Pigs in costume).' In 2019, Sharon revealed she'd been working on developing a biopic about her early days and relationship with her iconic husband after she learned another rival script had been doing the rounds in Hollywood. 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In October 2021, the official announcement then came via Variety, confirming the producers and studios involved as Polygram Entertainment, Sony Pictures and Osbourne Media – which is Sharon and two of the couple's children, Jack and daughter Aimée . The scriptwriter was revealed to be Oscar-nominated Billy Elliot and Rocketman scribe Lee Hall and the focus of the film the decades-long bond between the iconic rock star and his manager wife, which exploded onto the pop culture scene in the 2000s thanks to their TV reality show The Osbournes. 'Our relationship at times was often wild, insane and dangerous but it was our undying love that kept us together,' shared Sharon. 'We're thrilled to partner with Sony Pictures and Polygram to bring our story to the screen.' More Trending The update also confirmed that the biopic would feature music from both Black Sabbath and Ozzy's solo career. 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The briefing is being held at the police department in an attempt to protect the privacy of the family. Any media compelled to respond to the scene should park in the rear of the Carlouel Yacht Club, 1091 Eldorado Ave. The staging area is located at Eldorado and Bay Esplanade. GOODBYE BROTHER Hulk was a wrestling icon in the 1980s while part of Vince McMahon 's WWE, then the World Wrestling Federation. Hulk's ring walk captivated millions of wrestling fans, sending crowds roaring every time his iconic Real American theme song blared throughout the arena. The arena exploded when he would tear his bright yellow shirt off - his signature pre-match act that was replicated by his Hulkamania fanbase for decades. Hulk also dabbled in entertainment, as he appeared on reality TV, TV commercials, and movies, including Rocky III starring Sylvester Stallone. 7