Ozzy Osbourne’s Black Sabbath bandmate Tony Iommi is sharing his memories of the late rocker.
Osbourne died at age 76 on Tuesday, July 22, following a battle with Parkinson’s disease. Just weeks before his death, he reunited with Iommi, Bill Ward and Geezer Butler for one final Black Sabbath concert at Villa Park stadium in the band’s hometown of Birmingham. The iconic group performed their greatest hits at the Back to the Beginning festival on July 5.
Iommi, 77, told ITV News in an interview on Wednesday, July 23, that he believes Osbourne “held out to do that show.”
“Me 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,” the Black Sabbath cofounder and guitarist said.
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“I think he must have had something in his head that said, ‘Well, this is going to be it, the last thing I’m ever gonna do,’” Iommi continued. “Whether he thought he was going to die or what, I don’t know. But he really wanted to do it, he was determined to do it. Fair dues, he’d done it.”
Iommi recalled that Osbourne didn’t look well in rehearsals for the band’s final performance, but his death came as a “shock” nonetheless.
“We didn’t want him there every day at rehearsal because it’s too much. He just wouldn’t be able to stand it,” Iommi shared. “They’d bring him in, he’d sit down and sing a few songs, and then we’d talk about some rubbish old times, have a laugh, and then he’d go.”
Osbourne’s family, including his wife Sharon, broke the news of his death in an emotional statement Tuesday. “It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning,” the statement read. “He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.”
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Iommi said he was in disbelief when he got the news.
“When I heard yesterday, it couldn’t sink in. I thought, ‘It can’t be.’ I only had a text off him the day before. It just seemed unreal … surreal. It really didn’t sink in,” he revealed.
Iommi added, “We didn’t expect him to go that quick, really. Well, we didn’t expect him to go.”
