‘Tired, Got No Energy:' Tony Iommi Recalls Last Text From Ozzy Osbourne

News18

7 days ago

Ozzy Osbourne last performed on July 5 in Birmingham, where he reunited with fellow Black Sabbath bandmates for a farewell concert titled Back to the Beginning.
Ozzy Osbourne passed away at the age of 76 on July 22, sending shockwaves across the music world and among his fans. The heavy metal legend and frontman of Black Sabbath died following a prolonged battle with Parkinson's disease. His health had deteriorated severely in recent years, leading to the cancellation of multiple tours.
His final public appearance came on July 5 in Birmingham, where he reunited with fellow Black Sabbath bandmates guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward and bassist Geezer Butler, for a farewell concert. Titled Back to the Beginning, the event held in their hometown, was a moving farewell to fans, as if he knew it would be the final chapter.
British musician and Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi sat for an interview where he talked about Osbourne's health and the farewell concert. In an emotional interview with ITV News, he said, 'I think he really just held out to do that show. I really feel—I and Geezer were talking about it last night—that we think he held out to do it. And just after that, he's done it and said goodbye to the fans. And that was the end of it, really."
Despite severe health struggles in recent years, Osbourne remained determined to perform one last time. 'He must have had something in his head that said, 'Well, this is going to be it. The last thing I'm ever going to do.' Whether he thought he was going to die or what, I don't know. But he really wanted to do it, and he was determined to do it. And fair dues, he'd done it," Tony said.
Ozzy Osbourne's deteriorating health
Tony shared that Ozzy had been preparing extensively for the concert, even as his energy waned. Recalling how the rocker was brought to rehearsals in a wheelchair, Tony said, 'He came around after he was leaving on a wheelchair that brought him in to say goodbye and have a little chat for a bit. He seemed alright; he enjoyed it. And he said, 'Oh, it went all right, didn't it?' I said, 'Yeah, it did.'"
'They'd bring him in, and he'd sit down and sing a few songs, and then we'd talk about some rubbish old times or whatever, have a laugh, and then he'd go. And that's sort of what we did, really," he added.
For Tony, that concert was the end of the band. He concluded by saying that 'the concert meant everything to Ozzy."
Tony Iommi's last conversation with Ozzy Osbourne
A day before his passing, Tony revealed that the news of his death came as a shock. 'When I heard about his demise, it couldn't sink in. I thought, 'It can't be.' I only had a text with him the day before. It just seemed unreal, surreal. And it really didn't sink in. In the night, I started thinking about it: 'God, am I dreaming all this?' But as I said before, he's not looked well through the rehearsals," he said.
'When I had the text from him, he said that he's tired and he's really got no energy. It's a lot for him to do that under the problems he's got. And we could see it in rehearsal. We didn't want him there every day at rehearsal, because it's too much. He just wouldn't be able to stand it," he added.
Ozzy Osbourne's band Black Sabbath
Born John Michael Osbourne in England's Birmingham in 1948, Ozzy rose to international fame in the 1970s as the voice behind Black Sabbath. The band, launched in 1968, helped define the heavy metal genre with its haunting vocals and thunderous sound that influenced generations of artists. Before being known as Black Sabbath, the band performed under the name Earth.
First Published:
July 26, 2025, 17:59 IST
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