The co-founder of Black Sabbath, Geezer Butler, still marvels at the "frail" condition of Ozzy Osbourne in the weeks leading up to the band's final concert on July 5th. In a post for The Sunday Times, bassist Butler reminisced about the rehearsals for the gig at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, not far from where he and Osbourne grew up. Butler, along with Black Sabbath's other co-founders Tony Iommi and Bill Ward, began rehearsing for their farewell performance about a month in advance. "Of course, we hadn't played together for 20 years, so the first few days were a bit rusty," Butler wrote. "Then it was Ozzy's turn to join us. I knew he wasn't in the best of health, but I wasn't prepared for how weak he was. Two assistants and a nurse helped him into the rehearsal room, and he was leaning on a cane—being Ozzy, it was black with gold and jewels. He simply greeted us as usual and sat in a chair while singing. We ran through a few songs, but by the sixth or seventh, it was clear he was exhausted. We chatted briefly, but compared to the old Ozzy, he was remarkably quiet. After another two weeks of rehearsals, we were ready for the show."
Dubbed "Back to the Beginning," the concert lasted 10 hours and was attended by numerous celebrities. Lina Lecaro of The Hollywood Reporter wrote in her recap, "Fans who were fortunate enough to be there undoubtedly experienced an unforgettable immersive stadium show." However, for Butler, "the strangest part of the concert was the end," he wrote. "Usually, we'd hug each other and bow to the audience. But Ozzy was seated on his throne, and we weren't prepared for that. What were we supposed to do? Tony shook his hand, and I gave him a cake, but it felt odd to end our story this way. I wished I could have spent more time with Ozzy backstage, but there's no use crying over spilled milk, as Ozzy often said. 'One hand gives, the other takes; you never know which comes first.'"
"Nobody expected him to leave us just over two weeks after the final show," Butler continued. "But I'm incredibly grateful we got to play together again in front of his beloved fans." Osbourne passed away on July 22nd at the age of 76, having publicly disclosed his Parkinson's diagnosis in 2020. In his post, Butler also recounted his early days with Osbourne and the band, sharing insights into Osbourne's alter ego, the origin of his nickname "The Prince of Darkness." "To me, Ozzy wasn't the Prince of Darkness; if he had any title, it would surely be the Prince of Laughter," Butler wrote. "He'd do anything to make people smile; he was a born comedian." However, Butler also reminisced about his profound friendship with Osbourne. "We became inseparable comrades, always looking out for each other," he wrote. "People often perceive Ozzy as a fierce wild man, but he had a heart of gold. Many of his infamous antics—the bat incident, biting off a pigeon's head, urinating at the Alamo, snorting ants, and more—happened during his solo career, when he was free from the constraints of Black Sabbath. But if you needed a friend, Ozzy was always there. When my son was born with a heart defect, Ozzy called me every day to check on us, even though we hadn't spoken for a year at that point."
Butler also expressed gratitude to the fans who attended the final concert to celebrate Osbourne. "The love from the fans, the band, musicians, singers, and solo artists that night was unbelievable," he wrote. "Everyone came out to pay tribute to the Prince. It's been an honor to share most of my life with him. Of course, there are many things I should have written but omitted; how could I sum up 57 years of deep friendship in just a few words? Rest in peace, Ozzy. What a wild ride it's been! I love you!" Last week, Butler, Iommi, Ward, and other celebrities also paid tribute to Osbourne on social media.
