Introduction to a Legend
When the first E guitar riffs keep up on July 5, 2025, by the speakers in Villa Park in Birmingham, it will be more than just one concert – it will be history. Heavy Metal Pioneers Black Sabbath return to the stage for the last time in the original line-up. At the center of everything is a man whose life has long since become legend: Ozzy Osbourne.
A Fairy Tale Ending
In a way, it is a bit like a fairy tale with a happy ending: a heavy-metal hero drawn by life returns to where it all started – and says goodbye to the stage in which he once started. "It is my time to return to the beginning … time for me to return to the place where I was born. Birmingham is the real home of Metal." Osborne also said that the proceeds from the concert will go to various charity organizations in Birmingham.
From the Shadows of Birmingham
John Michael Osbourne was born in a world full of soot, smoke, and social tension in an industrial Birmingham. His prospects were not promising, and the reality of Birmingham’s coarse-grained districts was indeed hard. But in music, Ozzy – a name he had had since his school days – found a language through which he was able to express his anger and despair and his black humor. Together with Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward, he founded Black Sabbath at the end of the 1960s. The dark, heavy skirt paired with occult topics and socially critical texts became the music of a generation.
The Rise of Black Sabbath
Albums like "Paranoid" (1970) and "Master of Reality" (1971) became blueprints for later Heavy-Metal groups. Osbourne’s distinctive voice, high, complaining, penetrating, and at the same time vulnerable, became icons. But while Black Sabbath’s music rose to dizzying heights, Osbourne’s personal descent was almost as dramatic. The singer was lost in a world of alcohol, drugs, and other excesses. Until 1979, his problems with drug abuse had gotten out of control, his behavior was so unpredictable and unreliable that the band had thrown it out.
The Incident that Defined a Career
And then came the event that would stay with him forever. In 1982, in a concert in Iowa, USA, he bit his head from a live bat that had been thrown onto the stage, and supposedly believed that it was fake and made of rubber (he then received rabies). Regardless of the truth behind the incident, whether it was a perfectly staged moment or an act of total deception, it represented the myth of Ozzy Osbourne, the so-called "prince of darkness".
An Unprecedented Solo Career
Leaving the band in 1979 was initially another low point for Osbourne. He continued to fall into drug abuse until his future wife Sharon Rachel Levy helped him overcome his dependencies. She also suggested a solo career. He recorded the album "Blizzard of Ozz" (1980) and immediately saw success. His marriage to Sharon Osbourne, who also became his manager, brought him the stability he needed.
A New Era of Pop Culture Phenomenon
In the 2000s, the couple and his children Kelly and Jack became known worldwide through the reality TV show "The Osbournes". In it, the audience saw Osbourne as a spoiled, bite-sized but warm father, which made him a phenomenon of pop culture even more. The last years of his life were characterized by health setbacks. In 2019, it became known that Osbourne suffers from Parkinson’s disease. He canceled tours, underwent operations, and fought back, not without difficulty. But his love for music, his audience – and maybe the myth of Ozzy – kept him running.
Back to the Beginning
The concert on July 5th in Birmingham entitled "Back to the beginning". It will be the first time in over 20 years that the original line-up has occurred together. In addition to Black Sabbath, metal sizes such as Metallica, Pantera, and Gojira will also appear to the delight of the Metal fans. However, it can be said with certainty that the focus will be at the moment in which Ozzy, Tony, Geezer, and Bill take the stage together. It is not just a reunion, but a worthy farewell to one of the largest rock groups in the era.
