When Black Sabbath stepped onto the stage in their hometown for one last time, fans thought they were witnessing a celebration of legacy. For bassist Geezer Butler, however, the memory of that night carries a heavier weight. In a recent interview with Uncut, Butler revealed that frontman Ozzy Osbourne’s demeanor told a story no one else could see.
“At the final show, Ozzy was much quieter than I’d ever known him,” Butler reflected. “Looking back now, I think he knew he wasn’t long for this world.”
The concert was more than just another performance — it was a farewell carved out of sheer determination. Despite years of battling illness, Ozzy refused to let his final bow be dictated by his condition.
“I am so grateful that we were able to play one final show together, the original four of us, back in our hometown,” Butler said. “He held on so he could do that gig, to say farewell to the fans.”
That night, Osbourne’s voice soared, even as his body betrayed him. For a man whose life had been defined by defiance, this was his ultimate act of rebellion: refusing to let disease silence him before he could say goodbye.
“He was emotional. It was so important to him to see his fans one final time,” Butler explained. “After being unable to tour for six or seven years, he wanted to play with his own band — with Sabbath — one last time.”
Behind the scenes, the struggle was immense. Osbourne had been battling Parkinson’s disease since his diagnosis in 2019, a fight that stole much of his mobility but never touched his voice. His wife Sharon once remarked, “It’s affected his legs. But his voice is as good as it’s ever been.”
That voice carried him through the band’s swan song, a performance that would take place just weeks before his death in July 2025. For fans, it was a final gift. For his bandmates, it was a bittersweet reminder of both his fragility and his fire.
The farewell wasn’t simply the end of a tour — it was the closing chapter of heavy metal’s origin story. The original four, united once more, playing not just for themselves but for generations of fans who had grown up in the shadow of Sabbath’s riffs.
For Butler, that night will forever be etched in memory. A celebration. A goodbye. And, perhaps most poignantly, a sign that Ozzy himself had already accepted what lay ahead.
