Ozzy Osbourne Vows to Perform at Final Black Sabbath Show ‘By Hook or By Crook’
via Ozzy Osbourne / YouTube
Getting Ready for the Final Show
Ozzy Osbourne is preparing to perform his first full concert in seven years on July 5. This event will be Black Sabbath’s last show, held in his hometown of Birmingham, England. During a recent episode of his SiriusXM show “Ozzy Speaks” with Billy Morrison, Ozzy talked about his efforts to get ready for the big night at Villa Park.
“I haven’t done any physical work for the last seven, six and a half, seven years,” he said. Despite this, Ozzy promised, “by hook or by crook, I’m gonna make it [to the stage at Villa Park].” The final show will feature many famous bands like Metallica, Mastodon, Anthrax, Pantera, Alice in Chains, and more. There will also be a supergroup with members from Guns N’ Roses, the Smashing Pumpkins, Limp Bizkit, Judas Priest, Rage Against the Machine, and others.
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Training Against the Odds
Ozzy, now 76, has faced serious health problems in recent years. These include spinal surgery and a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis. He said he has been working with a trainer who helps people recover physically. “It’s hard going, but he’s convinced that he can pull it off for me. I’m giving it everything I’ve got,” Ozzy explained.
He admitted that sometimes he wakes up feeling stressed about the show. “Sometimes [I stress], but what I do, if I start obsessing all the time, I’ll be insane by Friday, you know?” he said. “So, I’m just taking it one day at a time.” He added, “when we were talking about this [obsessive-compulsive disorder], whatever. I have that badly. All I can say is I’m giving 120%. If my God wants me to do the show, I’ll do it.”
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Uncertain but Determined
In a recent interview with The Guardian, Ozzy said, “I’ll be there, and I’ll do the best I can. So all I can do is turn up.” Tool singer Maynard James Keenan has said it will take “modern miracles” for Ozzy to perform one of his famous high-energy shows due to his health issues.
Ozzy hasn’t played a full concert since December 31, 2018, which was just before he announced his Parkinson’s diagnosis. He set modest goals for the July 5 show, saying in February, “I am not planning on doing a set with Black Sabbath,” but instead, “little bits and pieces” with the band. “I am doing what I can, where I feel comfortable,” he promised.
You can listen to Ozzy talk about his training for the show below.
