Tony Iommi Remembers Ozzy: “He Had a Special Way, and That Was It”
As the entire world continues to pick up the pieces following the passing of legendary Black Sabbath vocalist Ozzy Osbourne, countless tributes from all walks of life sharing their experiences with the “Prince Of Darkness” have flooded the internet. A public outpouring of love and admiration the likes of which we in the metal sphere haven’t seen since Lemmy shuffled off this mortal coil. And while all those accounts are valid, Tony Iommi — a man who would know Ozzy as well as anyone alive — shared a more detailed response to the loss of his friend.
In an interview with ITV News yesterday, Iommi said Ozzy’s death came as a surprise, given he’d only been on stage in front of tens of thousands of people in Birmingham for the now iconic ‘Back to the Beginning’ show on July 5.
“Yeah, it was a shock for us [to find out that Ozzy had died]. I mean, when I heard yesterday, it couldn’t sink in. I thought, ‘It can’t be.’ I only had a text from him the day before. It just seemed unreal, surreal.”
When Iommi, Ozzy, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward took the stage for one final performance as Black Sabbath in their hometown, it was the first time they’d played together in 20 years. And though Iommi revealed that Ozzy didn’t look like he was doing well during rehearsals, he opined that the legendary vocalist kept his energy up enough for that one final show.
“I think he really just held out to do that show. Me and Geezer were talking about it last night, that we think he held out to do it, and just after that, he’s done it and said goodbye to the fans. And that was the end of it, really.”
Iommi also reflected on the build up to the show. Leading up to July 5, Ozzy himself had said he was trying to get into shape for what ended up being his final public performance ever. He’d been battling Parkinson’s Disease for years while simultaneously dealing with various physical ailments that had plagued him for decades.
Whether or not Ozzy knew this was it was really up in the air for Iommi, who said the show was an emotional rollercoaster for everyone involved. And though no one knew it at the time, it really was one final chance for Ozzy to play with his friends one last time and say goodbye to the fan base that had given him so much meaning.
“Whether he thought he was gonna die or what, I don’t know. But he really wanted to do it and he was determined to do it. And fair dues, he’d done it.”
Throughout the interview, Iommi said Ozzy wasn’t really able to spend too much time rehearsing and that the guys wanted him to take it easy anyway. Yet when he was around, Iommi said Ozzy was constantly doing his damnedest to rehearse while also cracking jokes and reminiscing about days gone by.
“I think he was moved and frustrated as well, ’cause he wanted to stand up. You could see he was trying to get up. But yeah, it meant everything to him. We didn’t expect him to go that quick, really. Well, we didn’t expect him to go.”
When asked how he’d remember Ozzy after a lifetime of playing together now that he’s gone, Iommi looked back on the years and said one thing pretty plainly — there will only be one Ozzy Osbourne.
“God, we go back so many years. I knew Ozzy before everybody, ’cause we went to the same school. He was always funny. Ozzy was Ozzy. There’s never gonna be another Ozzy. He’s the only one — one Ozzy and that’s it.
“Many times we said to him, ‘Now, don’t get saying anything.’ And, of course, he does. But it was funny. He did do some funny antics. And we did have a laugh on stage.
“He had a special way, and that was it. There’s not another Ozzy. And his antics and everything — we never knew what he was gonna do in all the years we’ve known him.”
