Heavy metal icon Ozzy Osbourne passed away on July 22, 2025, at the age of 76. Since his days with Black Sabbath, the Prince of Darkness has never left the public eye. In fact, Osbourne’s final performance occurred just a few weeks before his death, in the “Paranoid” hitmaker’s hometown of Birmingham, England. Osbourne was famously kicked out of his band due to erratic behavior from years of substance abuse. Despite this, he still managed to maintain a close relationship with his former Black Sabbath bandmates — apparently right up until his final days. In an August 2026 appearance on the “Loudwire Nights” podcast, Tony Iommi, founding member and lead guitarist of Black Sabbath, opened up about his last moments with Osbourne.
“I spoke to him the night before he passed,” Iommi recalled. “He said to me, ‘I really feel tired and really worn out.’ I said, ‘Well, you’re bound to really, it’s been a lot of stress and pressure and stuff like that’. And the next thing, the next day, [he’s] gone.” During the legendary band’s historic final performance, their lead singer was seated in an extravagant throne, due to his progressing Parkinson’s disease and Ozzy Osbourne’s history of health complications. While the performance was certainly a feat, Iommi could see that his longtime friend wasn’t the person he used to know. “We always had a little laugh on stage and enjoy when he’d run about,” Iommi shared. “But it was a great moment, and I’m really glad we could get the opportunity to do it.”
Black Sabbath will never forget Ozzy
Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images
Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images
Ozzy Osbourne’s reign as Black Sabbath’s leading man paved the way for a truly stellar career for the singer. In 2024, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist (the “Crazy Train” hitmaker was previously inducted in 2006, as a member of the iconic metal band). In Osbourne’s acceptance speech, he made sure to thank those who mattered the most, including his beloved bandmates. “I’ve been fortunate over the years to play with some of the world’s greatest guitar players, drummers, bass players, and a few of them are here tonight,” the rock legend acknowledged (via NME). The rocker went on to thank Ozzy Osbourne’s longtime wife, Sharon Osbourne, who stood by him through thick and thin.
All of Hollywood reacted to Ozzy Osbourne’s heartbreaking death. Black Sabbath paid tributes in their own ways too. Drummer Bill Ward took to Instagram to share a photo of the two of them in their younger days, noting, “Where will I find you now? In the memories, our unspoken embraces, our missed phone calls, no, you’re forever in my heart.” Bassist Terence “Geezer” Butler noted in his post, “Goodbye dear friend — thanks for all those years — we had some great fun.” Guitarist Tony Iommi detailed his surprise at Osbourne’s passing in an Instagram post, considering their historic performance just two weeks prior. “It’s just such heartbreaking news that I can’t really find the words,” he wrote. “There won’t ever be another like him.”
