Black Sabbath co-founder Geezer Butler recalls being surprised at how “frail” Ozzy Osbourne was in the weeks leading up to the band’s last concert on July 5.
In a post on The Sunday Times, bassist Butler recounted the rehearsals for the show in Villa Park, located in Birmingham, England, not far from where he and Osbourne grew up. Butler and fellow Black Sabbath co-founders Tony Iommi and Bill Ward had started rehearsing about a month for their final show.
“Of course, not having played together for 20 years, it took a couple of days to get rid of the rust,” Butler wrote. “Then it was time for Ozzy to join us. I knew he wasn’t in good health, but I wasn’t prepared to see how frail he was. He was helped into the rehearsal room by two helpers and a nurse and was using a cane — being Ozzy, the cane was black and studded with gold and precious stones. He didn’t really say much beyond the usual greetings and when he sang, he sat in a chair. We ran through the songs but we could see it was exhausting him after six or seven songs. We had a bit of a chat, but he was really quiet compared with the Ozzy of old. After a couple more weeks we were ready for the show.”
The show did go on, with a slew of celebrities making appearances during the 10-hour concert, titled “Back to the Beginning.” “Fans lucky to be there surely had an immersive stadium show experience they’ll never forget,” wrote Lina Lecaro in a recap for The Hollywood Reporter.
But, for Butler, “the strangest part of that show was the end,” he wrote. “Normally, we would all hug each other and take a bow to the audience. But Ozzy was on his throne and we hadn’t thought that out. What do we do? Tony shook his hand, I presented him with a cake, but it was such a strange feeling to end our story like that. I wish I’d had more time backstage with Ozzy, but wishes are redundant now. As Ozzy used to say: ‘Wish in one hand and shit in the other and see which comes first.’
“Nobody knew he’d be gone from us little more than two weeks after the final show,” Butler continued. But I am so grateful we got to play one last time together in front of his beloved fans.”
Osbourne died July 22 at age 76. He revealed his Parkinson’s Disease diagnosis in 2020.
In his post, Butler also wrote about how he met Osbourne and the band’s early years. He remembered another side of Osbourne, who earned the nickname “The Prince of Darkness.”
“To me, Ozzy wasn’t the Prince of Darkness — if anything he was the Prince of Laughter,” Butler wrote. “He’d do anything for a laugh, a born entertainer.”
But he was also a good friend, Butler recalled.
“We became inseparable brothers in arms, always looking out for each other,” he wrote. “People always thought Ozzy was a feral wild man, but he had a heart of pure gold. Most of his infamous antics — the bat saga, biting the head off a dove, pissing on the Alamo, snorting lines of ants and the rest — came in his solo years, away from the restraints of the Sabbath crew. But if you were a friend in need, Ozzy was always there for you. When my son was born with a heart defect, Ozzy called me every day to see how I was coping, even though we hadn’t spoken for a year.”
Butler also showed appreciation for the fans who showed up at the last concert to celebrate Osbourne.
“The love from the fans and all the bands, musicians, singers and solo artists that night was incredible,” he wrote. “Everyone had come to pay homage to the Prince. I am so privileged to have spent most of my life with him. Of course there are millions of things I will think of that I should have written, but how can I sum up 57 incredible years of friendship in a few paragraphs? God bless, Oz, it has been one hell of a ride! Love you!”
Butler, Iommi and Ward also paid tribute — along with other stars — to Osbourne on social media last week.
