Metalheads should mark July 5 on their calendars. Ozzy Osbourne is reuniting with the other original members of Black Sabbath for a farewell concert that musical director Tom Morello says "will be the greatest heavy metal show ever." The supporting lineup at the concert in Birmingham, England, Ozzy's hometown, will feature what the Guardian calls "a Who's Who of metal greats," including Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, and Alice in Chains. "It's my time to go Back to the Beginning….time for me to give back to the place where I was born," Osbourne said in a post on X. "How blessed am I to do it with the help of people whom I love. Birmingham is the true home of metal. Birmingham Forever."
Osbourne will reunite with Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, and drummer Bill Ward. Because Ward didn't take part in other recent reunions, this will be the first time the original lineup has performed together since 2005, Rolling Stone reports. The band formed in Birmingham in 1968. Proceeds from the "Back to the Beginning" show will benefit the Cure Parkinson's charity, Birmingham Children's Hospital, and the Birmingham-based Acorns Children's Hospice. Osbourne, 76, was diagnosed with a form of Parkinson's in 2019. Two years ago, he said he had given up touring for good because of spinal injuries.
The concert will see Osbourne "play his own short set before joining with Black Sabbath for his final bow," according to the announcement. His wife, Sharon Osbourne, tells the BBC that this will definitely be his final show. "He's so excited about this, about being with the guys again and all his friends. It's exciting for everyone," she says. "Ozzy didn't have a chance to say goodbye to his friends, to his fans, and he feels there's no been no full stop. This is his full stop." (More Ozzy Osbourne stories.)
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