NIKKI SIXX Reveals Why MÖTLEY CRÜE Were Missing From OZZY OSBOURNE’s Farewell Show
Summary
- Mötley Crüe missed Ozzy Osbourne’s farewell show due to health issues within the band, according to Nikki Sixx.
- Frontman Vince Neil recently postponed shows to recover from a medical procedure, delaying their Vegas residency.
- Despite the absence, Sixx praised Ozzy and Sharon for helping launch their career with the 1984 Shout at the Devil tour.
Fans of Mötley Crüe noticed something missing during Ozzy Osbourne’s massive Back to the Beginning farewell concert in Birmingham: the Crüe themselves.
The event, held on July 5, was billed as a once-in-a-lifetime celebration. Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath, and an all-star cast of musicians, including Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Pantera, and Slayer, came together to honor one of rock’s most iconic voices. Over five million people watched the show live or via streaming. But despite their long-standing history with Ozzy, Mötley Crüe wasn’t part of the action.
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So what happened?
Nikki Sixx Responds
Nikki Sixx, bassist and founding member of Mötley Crüe, took to X (formerly Twitter) to answer that very question. After congratulating Ozzy and his wife and manager Sharon Osbourne on the success of the show, Sixx was asked directly by a fan if the band had been invited to perform.
His response was brief: “We have been having health issues within the band.”
No further details were given in that post. But it tracks with recent developments for the group.
We have been having health issues within the band… https://t.co/zBSyF37pMz
— 📷 (@NikkiSixx) July 11, 2025
Back in March, Mötley Crüe announced the postponement of their planned spring Las Vegas residency at the Dolby Live at Park MGM. The reason? Frontman Vince Neil needed time to recover from an unspecified “required medical procedure.”
The band didn’t share what the procedure was, but it was serious enough to delay not only the Vegas shows but also cancel a scheduled appearance at the Boardwalk Rock Festival in Ocean City, Maryland, which was set for May 17.
As of now, the Vegas shows have been rescheduled to begin September 12.
Ties That Go Way Back
Mötley Crüe’s connection to Ozzy Osbourne isn’t just casual. They owe part of their early success to him. In 1984, Ozzy invited the band to open for him on his Bark at the Moon tour while they were promoting their second album, Shout at the Devil. It was a major opportunity that helped boost their profile in the early years.
Sixx reflected on that moment in his post, writing:
“Ozzy and Sharon gave us our first real big tour in 1984 on the Shout at the Devil tour. They gave us the opportunity to play in front of Ozzy and actually in my opinion, broke the band. Congratulations on an amazing career and what a bad-ass send off.”
The gratitude is real, even if the band couldn’t be there in person.
— 📷 (@NikkiSixx) July 7, 2025
No Stranger to Mayhem
The Mötley Crüe and Ozzy Osbourne tour of 1984 is legendary not only for the music but for the wild stories that came out of it.
One infamous incident, retold in the Crüe’s autobiography The Dirt and in its 2019 Netflix adaptation, involved Ozzy snorting a line of ants in front of the band, while wearing a dress.
Sixx recalled the moment like this:
“I handed him the straw, and he walked over to a crack in the sidewalk and bent over it. I saw a long column of ants, marching to a little sand dugout built where the pavement met the dirt. And as I thought, ‘No, he wouldn’t’, he did. He put the straw to his nose and, with his bare white ass peeking out from under the dress like a sliced honeydew, sent the entire line of ants tickling up his nose with a single, monstrous snort.”
It’s the kind of over-the-top moment that defined rock tours in the 1980s. The Crüe didn’t just tour with Ozzy. They partied with him in a way that few other bands did.
Not a Snub, Just Timing
Given all that history, it’s easy to understand why fans expected to see Mötley Crüe onstage with Ozzy for his final bow. But it appears the reason behind their absence is simple: health issues and scheduling conflicts.
It’s worth noting that none of the band members have expressed frustration or disappointment. On the contrary, Sixx has been vocal in his support for Ozzy, both as a mentor and as a friend. There’s no hint of bad blood here, just unfortunate timing.
Looking Ahead
Mötley Crüe’s fall residency in Las Vegas is still on the calendar, and the group is expected to return to the stage in September 2025.
For fans who were hoping to see them share the stage with Ozzy one last time, that window may have closed. The Back to the Beginning show marked not only Ozzy’s farewell but also the last performance of the original Black Sabbath lineup, including Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Bill Ward, and Ozzy himself.
Even though Mötley Crüe wasn’t there, the impact of their shared history remains. And Sixx made sure to honor that history in the most respectful way possible, by showing gratitude and stepping back when the band simply couldn’t deliver a proper performance.
As far as public explanations go, it was short, honest, and without theatrics. In rock music, that’s almost rare enough to be considered punk.
Charity Impact
In case the musical legacy wasn’t enough, the Back to the Beginning concert is also set to raise more than $190 million for charity, supporting Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and Acorns Children’s Hospice.
Even in absence, Mötley Crüe’s decades-long friendship with Ozzy Osbourne and Sharon remains part of the bigger picture.
They weren’t there on stage, but their mark on Ozzy’s career, and vice versa, is impossible to miss.
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Ozzy Osbourne’s long career on stage has officially come to a close. His final live performance took place on Saturday, July 5, during Back to …
