By Hanna Rantala
BIRMINGHAM, England (Reuters) -The original line-up of heavy metal legends Black Sabbath, including Ozzy Osbourne, will play together for the first time in 20 years at a one-off concert on July 5 in Birmingham, England, organisers said on Wednesday.
The gig will feature guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward — who along with charismatic frontman Osbourne pioneered heavy metal music in the early 1970s with hits such as “War Pigs”, “Paranoid” and “Iron Man”.
Since their last performance together in 2005, Black Sabbath has played in partial reunions but never in their original line-up.
Osbourne’s wife, music manager and TV personality Sharon, said that while other bandmembers might continue to make records and perform, Black Sabbath’s gig at the birthplace of the band will certainly be the 76-year-old’s final performance.
“For Ozzy right now, it’s definitely: ‘I love you and good night’,” she told Reuters.
Osbourne has produced new music in recent years including a Grammy-winning album but the singer has made fewer public appearances since revealing in 2020 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
Profits from the show, called “Back to the Beginning”, will be donated to charities including Cure Parkinson’s, organisers said.
Black Sabbath will top a line-up of rock and heavy metal icons including Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Alice in Chains, Lamb Of God and Anthrax at the Villa Park event.
Osbourne, who left the band in 1979 due to drug and alcohol problems and went on to pursue a highly successful solo career, paid tribute to his hometown in a statement.
“It’s … time for me to give back to the place where I was born,” Osbourne said. “How blessed am I to do it with the help of people whom I love. Birmingham is the true home of metal.”
Sharon said her husband was doing well and excited about the gig. “It’s stimulated him. He’s very, very excited and very thankful that he can do it.”
Tickets will go on sale on Feb. 14.
(Writing by Sachin Ravikumar, Editing by Paul Sandle)
