Ozzy Osbourne’s Farewell Show in the Works—Sharon Reveals Backup Plan

In his forthcoming posthumous memoir Last Rites, Ozzy Osbourne recounts the formidable physical and emotional hurdles he faced leading up to his Back to the Beginning farewell concert. The Prince of Darkness, who passed away on July 22 at age 76, was plagued by severe health issues in his later years—a struggle vividly detailed in the memoir.

An excerpt published by The Times reveals a particularly painful moment during the family’s journey to Birmingham for the show. “The cherry on top was when they made me get out of my wheelchair and ‘walk’ through the body scanner,” Ozzy writes. “I almost went through that thing arse over tit. Well… this is going smoothly, I thought.”

Rising Anxiety Ahead of the Farewell Show

The pressure only intensified after Ozzy arrived in England. He spent eight days hospitalized with high blood pressure, a period marked by deep worry as the scale of the event continued to grow. “My blood pressure kept me there for eight days, during which I had nothing to do but worry. Because the show kept getting bigger,” he recalls.

The lineup of legendary acts—including Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, and Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler—amplified Ozzy’s anxiety. “I was like, holy f***, it’s gonna be like metal’s answer to Live Aid,” he admits. “Lying in bed at night, I’d be like, I can’t go, I can’t do this. I kept saying to Sharon, we’d better get a video made ’cause there’ll be an empty stage. She just looked at me like I was mad. She knows me better than I do. She knew I was just scared.”

Sharon Osbourne’s Unwavering Support and a Defining Moment

Sharon Osbourne refused to entertain the idea of a prerecorded fallback. “Eventually Sharon said, ‘Look, there’ll be no backup plan. No video. No prerecorded anything. If you can’t sing on the night, just talk to the crowd and thank them. All you need to do is get up there and be Ozzy.’”

When the curtain finally rose on the farewell concert, Ozzy’s fears melted away. Gazing out at 42,000 fans in the arena and millions more online, he was overcome with emotion. “I’d never really taken it on board that so many people liked me—or even knew who I was. It was overwhelming, man, it really was.”

Ozzy Osbourne’s Back to the Beginning wasn’t just a concert—it was a triumphant testament to resilience, a final celebration of a storied career marked by grit and unforgettable music. In his last act, Ozzy proved that even amidst frailty and fear, the spirit of rock ’n’ roll endures.