Tony Iommi has revealed that he and the rest of Black Sabbath were left stunned by the condition of Ozzy Osbourne when the singer arrived at rehearsals ahead of the band’s big final show, «Back To The Beginning». As the guitarist remembers it, Osbourne had to be carried into the room.
“`The concert took place at Villa Park in Birmingham on 5 July 2025 and brought Black Sabbath’s original line-up together again — Iommi, Osbourne, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward — for the first time in 20 years. Osbourne died 17 days later, on 22 July, at the age of 76.
Speaking to Guitar World, Iommi said the decision was not easy at all. When the show was first put to him he turned it down, because they had closed that chapter with «The End Tour» in 2016-2017 and he did not want it to look like just another tour. Once he was told it was for charity, however, he changed his mind.
«I thought, what is this going to be? We haven’t played with Bill in years», he continues. He had not seen Ozzy since the 2022 Commonwealth Games: «That was the last time I saw him, because he was in the US and couldn’t travel because of his health; they wouldn’t let him fly».
«When he finally came and we met for rehearsals, we were stunned, because he came in being carried, basically. I couldn’t believe how much he had deteriorated», Iommi says.
The two of them had last appeared together at the closing ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Osbourne had revealed in 2020 that he had Parkinson’s disease. Proceeds from «Back To The Beginning» went to Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Acorns Children’s Hospice.
Iommi says he had told Osbourne he did not have to sing at rehearsals, but he wanted to try: «We were all in shock. He sat there and I told him he didn’t need to sing, we would just run it instrumentally, and he answered me «No, I’ll give it a go» and he sang for a while». After each day’s rehearsal, Iommi would tell him not to bother coming the next day — and he would show up, or he would not.
At the show Osbourne sang seated on a throne at the front of the stage, while Iommi stayed further back, near Ward’s drums, to keep the band tight. «It was very hard, because I was used to seeing him jumping around and grabbing me», he remembers. «But I’m glad we did it, because it was the original line-up and we won’t do it again. I’m glad we did it for Ozzy and for the fans».
Osbourne played a solo set first and then Black Sabbath closed the night with «War Pigs», «N.I.B.», «Iron Man» and «Paranoid». In an earlier interview with Classic Rock, Iommi had said he had suggested they not play at all and just come out to thank the fans, out of concern for Osbourne.
Iommi is getting ready to release his first solo album in 21 years, «From The Dark», on 23 October via BMG. Singer Jørn Lande, bassist Becky Baldwin and drummer Karl Brazil play on it, and it has already been promoted with the singles «World Alone» and «Stormwatcher». Fans can hear it early at listening parties in 18 cities on 22 October.
See also
the trailer for the «Back To The Beginning» film | Tony Iommi on life after Ozzy Osbourne
Source: https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/tony-iommi-ozzy-osbourne-back-to-the-beginning-rehearsals
