Tony Iommi discusses mortality and legacy following Ozzy Osbourne’s passing

It makes sense that Tony Iommi, the founding guitarist of Black Sabbath and a childhood friend of Ozzy Osbourne, the band’s leader, has been thinking back on Osbourne‘s death since July of last year. Iommi, 78, recently talked to a UK publication. To The Telegraph, he explains how that introspection has influenced his perspective on his own demise and how it now serves as a continual reminder of the one thing that everyone is certain of.

i’ve had a few friends go now, and you think, ‘Blimey, hang on, I’m 78, how much longer? Brian May and myself have this conversation. He’s more dismal than me. Bloody hell.

Iommi and Osbourne remained friends for more than 60 years, a duration that is hard to replace. He presumably found Black Sabbath and Osbourne‘s major farewell concert, “Back to the Beginning,” to be such a difficult day to deal with because of their unbreakable tie.

He was a part of my life for 60 years. I do miss him.

A little more than two weeks prior to Osbourne‘s death, “Back to the Beginning” took place, and Iommi could clearly see his physical state during the farewell song performance. He told The Telegraph that, given the condition of Osbourne’s decline, he was surprised to see him at the event for the first time in three years, as were many of the other musicians and personnel.

We all were shocked because they had to help him in and carry him in and sit him down. We had a chat and a laugh, but it was just sad to see him like that. He’s never been there. It’s like he wasn’t there. [I was] so used to, over the years, him running backwards and forwards and coming up, pulling faces and having a laugh. All of a sudden, there I am playing to the back of a chair. Also, Bill wanted me to stand by him because he was unsure of certain things. But we got through it and Ozzy was pleased afterwards. I’m glad we did it.

Iommi was rather alarmed when Osbourne performed two sets that evening at the request of his wife, manager, and “Back to the Beginning” show runner Sharon.

I did say to him: ‘I don’t think you should do two sets.’ I said: ‘You either do your set and then we’ll come on and just bow or whatever. Or, do our set.’ But he wanted to do two… or Sharon wanted him to do two. I don’t know. But he did, and I was concerned that he was really going to knock himself out. I knew it was going to be the last time of playing [live] in Sabbath, yeah. But I didn’t know as far as with Oz [that he was] going to go that quick.

Iommi is persevering in spite of all the feelings that thinking about Osbourne‘s death has brought up for him. He is preparing for the release of “From the Dark”, his fifth solo album, later this month. Karl Brazil, who drums for English artist Robbie Williams, and Norwegian vocalist Jorn Lande currently make up his backup band.

We’re not trying to prove anything – it’s a great album, it rocks. People were frightened of us.