TOM MORELLO Reveals How Much OZZY OSBOURNE’s Final Concert with BLACK SABBATH Raised for Parkinson’s and Children’s Charities

Summary

• Ozzy Osbourne’s final show with Black Sabbath raised $190+ million for three major charities.
• Over 5.8 million watched online while 40,000 attended live at Birmingham’s Villa Park.
• Osbourne performed seated on a bat-shaped throne, closing his career with solo hits and Sabbath classics.

Ozzy Osbourne has taken his final bow with Black Sabbath, and the farewell concert didn’t just mark the end of an era in heavy metal, it also made a major impact for charity.

The event, titled Back to the Beginning, brought together some of the biggest names in rock for one last massive celebration of Black Sabbath’s legacy. According to guitarist Tom Morello, who acted as the musical director, the show raised $190+ million for three major causes: Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and Acorn Children’s Hospice.

Morello shared the figure on Instagram, calling the concert a “labor of love.” He thanked Osbourne for trusting him to organize the show and said the event went beyond expectations.

Thousands in Birmingham, Millions Online

The concert took place at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, Black Sabbath’s hometown. About 40,000 fans attended in person, while another 5.8 million tuned in via livestream. For many, it was a once-in-a-lifetime moment: the first time the original Black Sabbath lineup had performed together in 20 years.

Ozzy, 76, who has been public about his struggles with Parkinson’s disease, performed while seated on a bat-themed throne. The throne rose from beneath the stage during Black Sabbath’s set, giving fans one final theatrical moment with the singer known as the Prince of Darkness.

“It’s my time to go back to the beginning,” Osbourne said when announcing the concert earlier this year. “Time for me to give back to the place where I was born.”

He called Birmingham the true home of metal and said he felt blessed to close things out with people he loves.

Ozzy’s Final Set

Osbourne performed a selection of solo hits, including:

• I Don’t Know
• Mr. Crowley
• Suicide Solution
• Mama, I’m Coming Home
• Crazy Train

He later joined Black Sabbath to deliver a run of fan favorites, like:

• War Pigs
• N.I.B.
• Iron Man
• Paranoid

“It’s so good to be on this f@#$%! stage, you have no idea,” Osbourne told the crowd, according to Variety. “Let the madness begin!”

Fans Share Their Stories

Many fans called the event one of the most emotional days of their lives (via The Guardian). Omar Khan, a 32-year-old theater director originally from Birmingham, said watching Ozzy push through the effects of Parkinson’s was powerful.

“I cried through his entire solo set,” Khan wrote in a reader letter. “It’s always devastating to see the effects of Parkinson’s take their toll on somebody’s body, but it hits that much harder when the person was so full of life.”

Annie, 35, from Norwich, called the show a “fitting end” and said it brought back memories of her teenage years. “It felt like a heavy metal club night where every song was being played by the original band,” she said. “I will remember this day forever.”

George Russell, who traveled from Western Australia, said the effort Ozzy put in was obvious: “His voice was still there, and you could see how being on stage gave him the energy he needed to make his final bow.”

Others were struck by the unity of the event. Neil from Worcestershire described it as “an outpouring of love.” Dominic Bishop, 33, compared it to a music festival, metal party, and funeral all rolled into one.

“I watched it with my girlfriend, her mum and dad, and some friends on the livestream,” Bishop said. “There was not a dry eye in the house. Bittersweet, but life-affirming.”

Heavy Metal’s Lasting Legacy

The concert also featured an all-star cast. Steven Tyler, Tom Morello, Travis Barker, Ronnie Wood, and others formed supergroups throughout the day, delivering Sabbath covers and tributes. Major acts like Metallica, Alice in Chains, Slayer, and Anthrax all took part.

Each band played two or three of their own songs, plus a Sabbath or Ozzy cover. Fans said this helped give the day a sense of continuity and purpose, beyond just being a standard festival lineup.

Van Norris, 61, said the show captured Sabbath’s original energy, especially with Bill Ward back on drums. “They sounded like the old ’70s Sabbath,” he said. “It was unbelievably moving.”

The local impact was just as big. Bev, a lifelong Birmingham resident, noted that the event brought £20 million to the local economy, along with international attention to the city’s place in music history.

“Black Sabbath gave heavy metal to the world, and now they are handing over that legacy,” she said. “Ozzy gave it as much as he could, and all of us metal fans will be forever grateful.”

A True Farewell

Unlike other “final” concerts that come with an asterisk, Back to the Beginning really seems to be the end of the road for Osbourne and Black Sabbath. Osbourne has made it clear this was his last performance.

His health struggles, including limited mobility and past surgeries, have made touring impossible.

Sharon Osbourne recently told fans, “We’re going to go home and shut the door.”

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