Tony Iommi reveals some new insights about Ozzy Osbourne’s last show

Tony Iommi stated that he thought Ozzy Osbourne had persevered to perform his final show. Following the band’s Back to the Beginning event earlier in the month, the Black Sabbath frontman passed away on July 22 at the age of 76. He had been battling poor health for a number of years. Iommi, who was visibly upset, stated in an interview with the UK’s ITV network that Osbourne‘s death had still come as a shock to him.

I only had a text from him the day before. It just seemed unreal – surreal. … In the night, I started thinking, ‘God, am I dreaming all this?’ He had not looked well through the rehearsals, I think he really just held out to do that show. … Me and Geezer were talking about it last night … we think he held out to do it. And just after that, he’s done it and said goodbye to the fans. I think he must have had something in his head that said, ‘Well, this is gonna be it, the last thing I’m ever gonna do.’ Whether he thought he was gonna die or what, I don’t know. But he really wanted to do it, and he was determined to do it.

Iommi shared also what happened during the rehearsals of the farewell show.

We didn’t want him there every day … He just wouldn’t be able to stand it. So they’d bring him in and he’d sit down and sing a few songs, and then we’d talk about some rubbish – old times or whatever – have a laugh, and then he’d go.

Ozzy seemed a bit upset to be performing while seated.

He wanted to stand up – you could see he was trying to get up.

The band members, including drummer Bill Ward, retired to their own dressing rooms following the performance.

And then [Osbourne] came over; he came around before he was leaving on a wheelchair. They brought him in to say goodbye and have a little chat for a bit. And he seemed all right – he enjoyed it, and he said, ‘Oh, it went all right, didn’t it?’ I said, ‘Yeah, it did.’

What did the last text message to Iommi said?

He’s tired and he’s really got no energy. And I thought, ‘Oh, dear … ’

The farewell show was the perfect closing though.

The end of the band, and we’ll never do it again. It meant everything to him. This is what we built up for, for that big ending where he could see all the people, and we could all see all the people, and close it in that way. But we didn’t expect to close it so quick with Ozz. We didn’t expect him to go that quick, really. Well, we didn’t expect him to go. So it’s been a shock.