Sharon Osbourne reveals: Doctors warned Ozzy two weeks before Back to the Beginning that he might not survive the show. He insisted on the performance – and died shortly afterwards.
Two weeks before his final performance with Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne was reportedly told he might not survive the show. He performed anyway.
“Back to the Beginning”: One last evening in Birmingham
On July 5, 2025, Birmingham transformed into the capital of heavy metal. With “Back to the Beginning”, Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne celebrated together one last time in front of their hometown – surrounded by an array of rock greats that is second to none: Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Tool, Slayer, Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler and RATM guitarist Tom Morello were on stage that evening. What the audience couldn’t have known at the time: it was the farewell of a sick man who didn’t want to let anyone take away his last performance. Less than three weeks after the concert, Ozzy Osbourne died.
Doctors warned of a fatal risk – Ozzy insisted on the show
Sharon Osbourne, who accompanied her husband not only as a wife but also as a manager for decades, described the circumstances openly and without sugar-coating in an appearance on the “Dumb Blonde” podcast. “Two weeks before the show they said he might probably die – and he did,” she explained. But Ozzy insisted on the gig: “Whether I die in two weeks or in six months – I’ll die either way. And I want to do it my way.” For Sharon Osbourne, this wasn’t a surprise, but a conscious decision on the part of her husband: “He left like a rock star.”
This was preceded by a months-long health decline. Ozzy Osbourne had already contracted sepsis the year before – a life-threatening blood poisoning that, according to his wife, prepared the family for the worst early on. “Very few people survive sepsis without losing a limb or their life. When he got sepsis, the children and I knew: It’s time.” Shortly before the Birmingham concert, Ozzy spent a week in hospital. After his release, the doctors’ message was unmistakable – and yet he still insisted on his appearance.
“Let Him Go” – Sharon Osbourne’s final moments with Ozzy
Sharon Osbourne described the circumstances of his death with composure. When the doctors tried to resuscitate him, she knew inside that it was over. “I thought: Don’t. Don’t do it. Let him.” Ozzy was ready. Looking back, Sharon Osbourne sees the fact that his death came so quickly as a mercy: “He left as he wanted. It happened so quickly. Thank God.”
The family mourns – and remembers
Daughter Kelly Osbourne spoke out on social media shortly after her father’s death. She described Ozzy as the “strongest, most loving person” she had ever known – someone who, despite decades of health struggles, never stopped passionate about his family and his music. His death leaves a void that cannot be filled with words, she wrote. At the same time, she expressed her gratitude that her father was able to once again experience the stage that had shaped his life.
Jack Osbourne, who recently supported his father intensively through his battle with Parkinson’s syndrome, also commented online. In an interview, Ozzy’s son remembered a man who never let himself get down despite his progressive illness. “He fought to the end – not against death, but for the life he loved.” Jack Osbourne emphasized how important it was for his father to stand in front of the fans in Birmingham: “It wasn’t just a concert. It was his graduation.”
Sharon Osbourne added in another statement that in their grief the family is consciously clinging to the moments of life, not just the loss. “Ozzy has lived more than most people can imagine. He didn’t survive – he lived.” The family plans to actively preserve his legacy and ensure that his music and his story continue to be told.
A legacy of five decades of heavy metal
Ozzy Osbourne leaves behind an impressive legacy. As the singer of Black Sabbath – founded in Birmingham in 1968 – he significantly influenced the emergence of heavy metal as an independent genre. Albums like “Paranoid” (1970) or “Master of Reality” (1971) are still considered cornerstones of rock music today. After leaving Black Sabbath in 1979, he started an equally successful solo career: with “Blizzard of Ozz” (1980) and “Diary of a Madman” (1981), he established himself as an independent artistic personality. Songs like “Crazy Train,” “Mr. Crowley” and “Mama, I’m Coming Home” are integral parts of the rock canon.
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Ozzy Osbourne was also a cultural phenomenon outside of music. The reality series “The Osbournes,” which aired on MTV in the early 2000s, made him and his family world-famous and showed a surprisingly human side to the self-proclaimed “Prince of Darkness.” With the “Ozzfest” festival he also created a platform for generations of metal bands. Ozzy Osbourne was 76 years old.
