LONDON (AP) — Onerous-rock royalty and a few 40,000 followers gathered for an ear-splitting tribute to Ozzy Osbourne at what the heavy steel icon says was his last-ever dwell efficiency.
The unique lineup of Osbourne’s band Black Sabbath carried out at Villa Park soccer stadium of their house metropolis of Birmingham, central England, on Saturday.
The 76-year-old singer, who has been identified with Parkinson’s illness, sang from a black throne that rose up from underneath the stage.
“Let the madness begin!” he urged as he took the stage, and later paid tribute to followers.
“I don’t know what to say, man, I’ve been laid up for like six years. You have no idea how I feel — thank you from the bottom of my heart,” Osbourne mentioned. “You’re all … special. Let’s go crazy, come on.”
Osbourne carried out a number of songs solo earlier than being joined onstage, for the primary time in 20 years, by Black Sabbath bandmates Tony Iommi, Terence “Geezer” Butler and Invoice Ward. The band ended a brief set with “Paranoid,” one among its most well-known songs.
It capped a day-long steel competition that included performances from the likes of Anthrax, Metallica and Weapons N’Roses. Artists who despatched plaudits and well-wishes included Jack Black, Dolly Parton and Elton John.
“You are one of the most remarkable singers of our time,” John mentioned. “You are the king, you are the legend.”
Osbourne shaped Black Sabbath in 1968 in Birmingham, a metropolis then recognized for its heavy trade that grew to become the crucible of the British steel scene. Black Sabbath’s satan imagery and thunderous sound made them one of many period’s most influential — and parent-scaring — steel acts. Each the band and Osbourne as a solo artist have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Corridor of Fame.
Osbourne’s fame expanded into the mainstream within the early 2000s, when he joined his spouse Sharon Osbourne, and two of their kids within the MTV actuality TV present “The Osbournes.”
He has struggled with well being points since 2003 following a near-fatal quad bike crash. He revealed his Parkinson’s prognosis in 2020 and paused touring in 2023 after spinal surgical procedure.
