Black Sabbath bandmates have said they “have lost a brother” after the tragic death of legendary heavy metal frontman Ozzy Osbourne, whose death sparked an outpouring of grief from around the world
Ozzy Osbourne’s Black Sabbath bandmates have paid tribute to their legendary lead singer after his death — just weeks after the band reunited for a final gig in their hometown.
Bassist Terence “Geezer” Butler said he was “so glad” he was able to perform a final time with Ozzy, 76, at the band’s reunion earlier this month at Villa Park in Birmingham, a stone’s throw from where the band formed in 1968.
The hometown heroes topped the bill of a star-studded show, called Back To The Beginning, saw the the names in rock come to pay tribute to the four Birmingham lads who were early pioneers of heavy metal.
Butler wrote on social media: “Goodbye dear friend – thanks for all those years- we had some great fun. Four kids from Aston — who’d have thought, eh? So glad we got to do it one last time, back in Aston. Love you.”
And band co-founder Tony Iommi shared a photo of him and Ozzy on social media, writing: “I just can’t believe it! My dear dear friend Ozzy has passed away only weeks after our show at Villa Park.
“It’s just such heart-breaking news that I can’t really find the words, there won’t ever be another like him. Geezer (Butler), Bill (Ward) and myself have lost our brother. My thoughts go out to Sharon and all the Osbourne family. Rest in peace Oz. Tony.”
Hellraiser Ozzy – who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2019 – was reunited with fellow original Sabbath members Tony Iommi, Terence “Geezer” Butler and Bill Ward on stage for a final performance on July 5.
The gig was held not far from the Crown pub where they played their first gig in 1968 and saw Ozzy take to the stage by rising on a large black throne through a trap door, wearing his signature black attire and thick eye make-up.
After playing five solo songs, he took a short break before he was joined on stage by the rest of Black Sabbath for the first time in 20 years. The band performed some of their greatest hits, ending with a rendition of Paranoid.
After the poignant performance, Osbourne and his wife Sharon celebrated the engagement of their daughter Kelly with her long-term partner Sid Wilson, a member of the heavy metal band Slipknot.
Kelly Osbourne, 40, posted a video on Instagram in which family and friends gather backstage before Wilson, 48, grabs her hand and tells her: “Kelly, you know I love you more than anything in the world.”
Ozzy Osbourne, sitting in a chair behind them, quips: “F*** off, you are not marrying my daughter!”
Fans tonight laid flowers at the Black Sabbath bench in Broad Street in Birmingham city centre. Gerard Fee said: “It’s very sad, he’s such an icon. I think he held on for the Birmingham event, and that was what he wanted.”
Yasmine Summan said: “I’m a metal fan and he meant a lot to this city. I saw him at Download a few years ago and he was amazing. We didn’t manage to get tickets for the big concert but we had a bar crawl and played their music. Such a sad loss.”
Flowers also left at a makeshift memorial at Ozzy’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles.
In a statement, his family said: “It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
