Ozzy Osbourne's final words to his fans are heard in the new Black Sabbath concert film, Back To The Beginning, which tells the story of his farewell performance at Villa Park last year, weeks before his death. The film is released in cinemas on October 28.
In the movie, Ozzy is heard saying: “Time goes by like a flash. I've had a lot of fun. I've had a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. You know, it's been a great life. If I could live my life again, I wouldn't change a damn thing.”
Defying the Odds for a Final Gig
Ozzy, the lead singer of the iconic British heavy metal band, died of a heart attack two weeks after his farewell concert on July 5 last year. The film, Ozzy & Black Sabbath: Back To The Beginning, tells the story of that show, which was years in the making and gave fans the chance to see the original Sabbath line-up one last time.
At the end of the film, Sharon Osbourne reveals how Ozzy went through the pain barrier to perform. She said: “He was told 10 days before the show he probably wouldn’t make it through the show if he went up and performed. He absolutely said ‘No, I’ve made my commitment, I’m doing it. Whatever happens, happens.”
A Memorable Concert and a Difficult Build-Up
The decision seemed to be the right one, as the concert was one of the most memorable in the history of heavy metal and allowed Ozzy to say goodbyes to friends and fans. Ozzy’s son Jack said: “It was way gnarlier than people would have ever imagined the months leading up to that show, and so to see him up there, you know, was powerful. You know, and the fact that he, you know, passed so soon after, I think it really highlights that you know he felt complete.”
Another risk was whether his voice would be up to the task, and Sharon said the songs chosen were deliberate with no high notes. She explained: “He was just praying that his lungs would work and that he could sing. Because I mean, he had with everything else that was wrong with him, he had emphysema. So for him to breathe was very very hard, and you know you never knew from one day to the next he could be great for two days, and then on the third day, he'd wake up, and you know, all you'd hear was wheezing, and he couldn't breathe, so it was tough.”
A Joyous Final Chapter
Sharon said he was like a different person after the gig after years of illness and enjoyed his final days. She said: “He was flying high again. He was so happy. Until the day he passed, he was still on that high, so thankful to everyone. It was so joyous for us to see because we hadn’t seen him like that for years. He was laughing, telling jokes again. It was brilliant. I had asked Ozzy what would really make him happy, and he said the only thing that would make him happy was if he could perform again and say goodbye to his fans. That's all he wanted to do.”
Black Sabbath formed in Birmingham in 1968 and went on to become one of the most successful heavy metal bands of all time, with Ozzy dubbed the ‘Prince of Darkness’. The concert saw Ozzy play a short solo set before later returning to close the show with his original Black Sabbath bandmates: guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward and bassist Geezer Butler.
Tony said: “I was so pleased that we all four of us finally could get together. Really, it was a closure for the band, and it was a good way to go out.” Geezer said: “To me, it was like pure love. It was just a wave of love. It was the only way I can describe it, really. We could feel it, like actually, as if it was like tangible.” And Bill said: “When I was on the stage, I felt like I was completely at home. This is a place that embraced me. This is the place where I grew up. I was completely home, and being on the stage with the guys to me that was just like absolutely fantastic.”
Ozzy & Black Sabbath: Back To The Beginning is in cinemas for a limited time from October 28, and tickets can be bought at backtothebeginning.com.
