BLACK SABBATH’s Founding Four Reunite Ahead of OZZY OSBOURNE’s Final Show; First Photos Released

Summary

• The original Black Sabbath lineup reunites for Ozzy Osbourne’s final show at Villa Park, Birmingham, on July 5.
• The sold-out event, Back To The Beginning, will be livestreamed globally and remain viewable for 48 hours.
• Jason Momoa will host the show, with a rotating supergroup featuring members of Guns N’ Roses, Smashing Pumpkins, and more.

The original members of Black Sabbath have reunited to rehearse for one last performance. Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, and Bill Ward are preparing for their farewell event, “Back To The Beginning: Ozzy’s Final Bow”, which takes place on July 5 at Villa Park in Birmingham, England.

Fans got their first look at the reunited band in new photos shared on social media by Black Sabbath and Tony Iommi (see below). The images show the four members standing in front of a mural in Birmingham painted by artist Daniel Russell-Ahern, also known as Mr Murals.

“Hasn’t Mr Murals been busy! Very flattered to be honoured in such a creative way, thank you Birmingham,” Iommi wrote.

Concert Will Stream Online

The event is sold out, but fans around the world will still be able to watch. A global livestream of the show will be available through www.backtothebeginning.com. It will start at 3:00 p.m. local time on July 5, with replays available for 48 hours.

The concert is being produced by Mercury Studios, known for projects like Metallica Saved My Life, and Kiswe, the streaming company behind BTS’s record-breaking online concerts.

Sharon Osbourne Says Livestream Was Fans’ Idea

Sharon Osbourne, Ozzy’s wife and longtime manager, said they decided to stream the concert after fans begged them to.

“We had such an overwhelming demand from fans who couldn’t get tickets. They took to social media, pleading with us to broadcast the show,” Sharon said. “Being this is such a historic event, we just couldn’t let them down.”

Jason Momoa to Host, Supergroup to Perform

Actor Jason Momoa will host the all-day event. A group of well-known musicians will perform Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne songs, including:

• Slash and Duff McKagan (Guns N’ Roses)
• Billy Corgan (The Smashing Pumpkins)
• Fred Durst (Limp Bizkit)
• K.K. Downing (Judas Priest)
• Jake E. Lee (Ozzy’s former guitarist)
• Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine)

Sharon said they’ll appear in rotating groups throughout the night.

Ozzy’s Health Makes This a Final Goodbye

This will be Ozzy Osbourne’s final live performance. His health has declined in recent years due to Parkinson’s disease and other medical issues.

“Ozzy didn’t have a chance to say goodbye to his fans,” Sharon told The Sun. “This is his full stop.”

Ozzy was diagnosed with a rare genetic form of Parkinson’s in 2003. In addition to the disease, he suffered a serious fall that damaged metal rods in his spine, originally placed after a 2003 quad-bike accident. He also dealt with a COVID-19 infection in 2022.

While he had planned to tour with Judas Priest, those shows were canceled after several reschedules. He officially stepped back from touring in early 2023.

Despite these setbacks, Ozzy performed briefly at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and at the NFL kickoff game in Los Angeles that same year.

“He’s very, very excited and thankful that he can do it,” Sharon told Reuters. “It’s stimulated him.”

Proceeds Go to Charity

Money raised from Back To The Beginning will go to:

• Cure Parkinson’s
• Birmingham Children’s Hospital
• Acorn Children’s Hospice, which is supported by Aston Villa Football Club

First Reunion Since 2005

This marks the first time the original Black Sabbath lineup has performed together since 2005.

Over the years, there have been partial reunions, but never with all four founding members on stage.

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