Ozzy Osbourne Finally Speaks To Bill Ward

It was recently announced that Ozzy Osbourne will be reuniting with Black Sabbath for a show this upcoming July in the band’s hometown of Birmingham, UK. Ozzy and his Black Sabbath bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward will perform together for the final time.

The concert – which will donate proceeds to support Cure Parkinson’s, the Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and Acorn Children’s Hospice – will mark the first time Ozzy, Iommi, Butler, and Ward have played together in 20 years. It will also be Ozzy’s last-ever concert, as he revealed in 2020 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

In a recent interview with Birmingham Live about the upcoming event, Ozzy’s wife Sharon Osbourne was asked about how the Sabbath reunion came to be.

“I left that to Ozzy. He’s in constant contact with Tony and Geezer. And Bill too. They talk all the time,” she said. “Ozzy said ‘I’m going to do my goodnight gig, my farewell, and would you come up and do Sabbath with me.’ He couldn’t do it on his own. And they all said yes. When they heard it was for charity, it was easy.”

The event has an insane lineup that includes bands and artists Black Sabbath inspired, such as Metallica, Pantera, Slayer, Gojira, Anthrax, Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan, Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello, and many more.

Speaking about the all-star lineup, Sharon said: “I think it’s the best metal gig ever. It’s easy when you have such good friends and friends that support you. We’ve known these guys for years and years and many of them were passed the torch by Sabbath. It goes down the line. When you need them, they come.”

“For Ozzy, it’s goodnight to his fans,” she added. “The other guys in Sabbath will go on to their various projects but for Ozzy, it’s definitely farewell.

“Our friends want to come, and they know it’s for charity, so it’s brilliant. It’s a win-win for everybody… But especially the fans.”

Addressing Ozzy’s health issues and how they could affect his ability to perform, Sharon said: “It’s going to take a lot of physical energy for Ozzy. It takes a lot for someone with Parkinson’s. But we feel so proud of all Ozzy has achieved, and all he’s overcome. I’m proud of him, and I’m happy for him.

“He’s overwhelmed. He’s very overwhelmed by the response of his friends. He said, ‘Wow, they’re doing this for me?’

“When you’ve got your peers, and your friends with you, there’s nothing bigger. Well, aside from fans, of course. They come first.”