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Ozzy Osbourne has reunited with Black Sabbath and performed his last gig - telling fans "you've nary thought however I consciousness - convey you from the bottommost of my heart", successful an affectional but genuinely metallic goodbye.
Announced earlier this year, Back To The Beginning astatine Villa Park stadium was billed arsenic the "final bow" for the antheral revered arsenic a laminitis of dense metallic aft respective years of wellness problems, including Parkinson's disease.
Rising up connected a achromatic throne featuring jewelled skulls, the 76-year-old performed a solo acceptable earlier being joined by his archetypal bandmates - Terence "Geezer" Butler, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward - for Black Sabbath's archetypal show successful 20 years.
"Let the madness begin," Osbourne cried arsenic helium appeared for the archetypal time, telling astir 40,000 fans: "It's truthful bully to beryllium connected this stage."
With the assemblage chanting his name, helium performed some sets sitting down, but the dependable and the crazed glint successful his eyes were determination astir throughout.
Singing instrumentality favourites including Mr Crowley and Crazy Train, and Iron Man and Paranoid with Black Sabbath, Osbourne conducted the assemblage to sing "louder, louder", and "go f****** crazy".
This was an orchestrated exit by dense metal's biggest character, with a supporting line-up of hard stone luminaries - from Slayer and Halestorm to Metallica and Guns 'n' Roses, positive stars including Steven Tyler, Ronnie Wood, Yungblud, Travis Barker and Chad Smith, who showed up for "supergroup" performances.
Many said they would not beryllium the musicians they are without Osbourne and Black Sabbath.
"You know, there's not different feline arsenic respected successful metallic arsenic Ozzy Osbourne," erstwhile Van Halen vocalist Sammy Hagar told Sky News conscionable up of his performance. "And for him to beryllium sick and to beryllium saying, I'm out, I'm done. Man. There's nary 1 other that tin regenerate that."
"Without Sabbath, determination would beryllium nary Metallica," said frontman James Hetfield during their performance.
"We're not present to accidental goodbye," said Anthrax's Scott Ian. "We're conscionable present to accidental convey you."
Throughout the day, elephantine Ozzy and Black Sabbath formation balls, successful the Aston Villa claret and blue, were bounced astir a jubilant crowd.
Tributes from different personage friends and fans, from Billy Idol and Ricky Gervais to Dolly Parton and Sir Elton John, were played connected screen.
Read more: From Black Sabbath's Prince of Darkness to world TV star
Hollywood histrion Jason Momoa, who hosted the event, told the assemblage dense metallic had been a "safehaven" for galore increasing up, and Black Sabbath's euphony had "influenced and inspired musicians" of each eras and genres.
The farewell amusement was the thought of Osbourne's wife, Sharon - 1 last gig to decorativeness his performing vocation connected a precocious - aft helium was forced to cancel shows helium had planned successful 2023, telling fans helium "never imagined" his touring days would extremity that way.
Sharon Osbourne told Sky News earlier this twelvemonth that his 1 regret was not being capable to accidental a convey you to his fans, and truthful the thought for the reunion gig was born.
Profits from the amusement volition beryllium shared betwixt Cure Parkinson's, Birmingham Children's Hospital, and Acorn's Children's Hospice.
The gig came aft the Black Sabbath set members were awarded the state of Birmingham earlier successful June, recognised for their value to the taste and philharmonic individuality of the metropolis they grew up in.
The radical formed successful 1968 and went connected to go 1 of the astir palmy metallic bands of each time, selling much than 75 cardinal albums worldwide implicit the years.
They were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame successful 2006 - Osbourne again aboriginal arsenic a solo creator past twelvemonth - and awarded a beingness Ivor Novello songwriting grant successful 2015. In 2019, they were presented with a Grammy beingness accomplishment prize.
Now, their archetypal show successful 20 years volition besides beryllium their past - 1 for the metallic past books.
The amusement ended with fireworks and a roar from the crowd, who had chanted Ozzy's sanction throughout.
For fans, Back To The Beginning capped it each - the eventual stone and metallic line-up, and 1 past accidental to amusement their emotion for the Prince of Darkness.
"I consciousness fortunate to beryllium capable to be this," said Calum Kennedy, 19, from Dunfermline. "It's the biggest metallic amusement known to man, [the biggest line-up] ever. I've ne'er seen thing better."
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Ben Sutton, 24, from Chester, added: "I consciousness similar it's important - we're of the younger procreation - for america to spot immoderate of the practice and past of the genre we love, metallic successful general. It's specified an honour to accidental goodbye to him."
Steve Townson, from Lincolnshire, said: "I saw him the archetypal clip circular and the information that he's inactive going is incredible, isn't it? I was determination astatine the start, I'm blessed to beryllium present astatine the end."
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