Sharon Osbourne recalled her husband’s final days on the first anniversary of his death, revealing how close his farewell concert came to never happening.
As Birmingham honored its hometown hero with music and tributes, Sharon Osbourne gave a deeply personal radio interview that shed new light on the weeks leading up to Ozzy Osbourne’s final performance.
Just days after Ozzy’s death, Sharon Osbourne led her family in saying goodbye in Birmingham. A year later, she returned to the city to remember the husband she said spent his final weeks smiling after one last concert. | Source: Getty Images
Why Birmingham’s Tribute Meant So Much to Sharon
As reported by the BBC, the city of Birmingham marked one year since Ozzy’s death with a day of music and celebration affectionately called “Ozzy Day,” commemorating one of its most beloved sons.
This became one of Ozzy Osbourne’s final major public appearances before his farewell concert in Birmingham. Sharon later said he feared he might not be able to sing, making that last performance even more meaningful. | Source: Getty Images
Fans cloaked in black — wearing tribute T-shirts to Ozzy or Black Sabbath — filled the streets, visiting the sites most connected to the heavy metal icon.
At New Street station, queues formed to pose with the mechanical Ozzy the bull statue, which had been specially dressed up for the day. Everyone who took a photo received a free commemorative Polaroid.
Fans continued leaving flowers, messages, and personal tributes at Black Sabbath Bridge as Birmingham marked the first anniversary of Ozzy Osbourne’s death. The memorial reflected the lasting connection Sharon said her husband always felt with his hometown. | Source: Instagram/bhamcitycouncil
Some travelled from much further afield. A five-piece group, Bostin Brass, who had performed at Ozzy’s funeral procession, played on the streets throughout the day, including a set at the Black Sabbath bench.
The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra also performed a special show dedicated to Ozzy in the Bullring.
How Far Fans Went to Honor Ozzy
Among the crowds were Julie Sawyer and her daughter Holly, who travelled from Nottingham. Julie lost her husband, Holly’s father Paul, in March 2025. Paul was a big fan of Ozzy and had “Crazy Train” played at his funeral.
Julie said it was emotional to be in the city for Ozzy Day, but they “couldn’t not be here.” Another group had flown in from Monterrey, Mexico — Jul Aguilera, Sergio Tinajero, Marce Abarca, Leslie Jaramillo, and Yan Nuñez — just to pay tribute in Birmingham.
Sharon herself was in the city to mark its first-ever Ozzy Day. She said Ozzy was “proud” of his “humble beginnings” and became tearful when asked why it was important for her to be there.
“Because I can’t forget what Birmingham did for Ozzy,” she said, choked up. Although he rose to global stardom, she added, he never forgot his roots.
The Conversation Sharon Says Nearly Stopped Ozzy’s Final Show
Then came the part fans hadn’t heard before. In an interview with a BBC local radio station via CNN, Sharon said the “Back to the Beginning” benefit show — Ozzy’s final performance — could easily not have happened at all.
“Ozzy knew that he was dying. He was told two weeks before the show that he was dying, and they said ‘don’t do the show,'” she said.
The musician, who had Parkinson’s Disease and was 76, had other ideas. “He said, ‘Yeah, right. Get out of here,'” Sharon recalled. She said the concert, which benefited a range of UK charities, gave her husband one final chance to do what he loved most.
Sharon and Kelly Osbourne continued honoring Ozzy’s legacy together after his death. On the first anniversary of his passing, Kelly reflected on the lasting impact of losing her father and the memories she continues to cherish. | Source: Getty Images
“It was a gift to be surrounded by his loyal crew, his friends, his family, the fans.” Sharon said Ozzy’s bond with his audience never faded and that performing one last time gave him the farewell he had hoped for. She added that he delivered a memorable performance.
Why Sharon Says Ozzy’s Final Two Weeks Were Different
For the last two weeks of his life, Sharon said Ozzy was “the happiest” she had ever seen him.
Sharon Osbourne stood by her husband’s side throughout his career and remained at the center of his final chapter. On the first anniversary of Ozzy Osbourne’s death, she reflected on the weeks leading up to the farewell performance he was determined to give. | Source: Getty Images
“It was just so great to see him every day smiling,” she said, describing the event as an “absolute joy” that proved a huge boost at a very difficult time.
Sharon said Ozzy had struggled with depression in his final months because he knew his life was coming to an end. She said he also feared he would no longer be able to sing.
When asked what her message would be for fans on the anniversary, Sharon didn’t hesitate. “As Ozzy would say, ‘When you want to remember me, just yank up the music really loud, as loud as you can get it, and just head bang,'” she said.
Ozzy Osbourne’s energetic performances and trademark headbanging became defining parts of his stage presence. Sharon later said performing for his fans remained his greatest passion until the very end. | Source: Getty Images
Sharon Wasn’t the Only One Remembering Ozzy
Sharon’s daughter, Kelly Osbourne, shared her own tribute on Instagram, addressing her late father directly in a lengthy, aching post.
“One year ago today, the world changed forever,” she began. “I know you are still with me. I feel you in the quiet, in the wind, in every song that stops me in my tracks, in the smell of your cologne.”
Ozzy Osbourne shared a close bond with his daughter Kelly throughout his life. A year after his death, she reflected on the grief of losing her father and thanked those who continue to honor his legacy. | Source: Getty Images
“The hardest part isn’t that you’re gone. The hardest part is that I can’t touch you. I can’t hold your hand,” she wrote. “I always thought life was hard, but life without you has been the hardest thing I have ever had to endure.”
Kelly said she catches glimpses of her father in her young son. “Your smile. Your spirit. Your mannerisms. Sometimes it stops me in my tracks.” She called Ozzy “a true working-class hero who never forgot what he came from.”
Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi also marked the anniversary, writing on Instagram that he still struggles to believe Ozzy is gone.
“I watch him on YouTube and it feels like he’s still here with us,” Tony wrote. He said the two stayed in touch almost every week, often talking about their health and what had been happening in their lives.
He also thanked fans for the “love and respect” they have shown Ozzy and said he was grateful the original Black Sabbath lineup reunited one last time for the “Back to the Beginning” show in Birmingham. “There will never be another Ozzy. I miss you, my dear friend,” he said.
Bassist Geezer Butler echoed that sentiment, posting on the same platform that he was grateful the original line-up had one last chance to share a stage together before Ozzy’s death.
“One year ago today- hard to believe. I am so glad we were able to do the final show , back in our hometown, just a couple of weeks before Ozzy left us. Gone in body, but his legend lives on. Such incredible memories. Ozzy forever!”
Years before their final farewell, Ozzy Osbourne stood alongside Black Sabbath bandmates Geezer Butler and Tony Iommi. One year after his death, both musicians looked back on the band’s last performance together as one of their most treasured memories. | Source: Getty Images
Drummer Bill Ward, the fourth member of Sabbath’s classic line-up, kept his tribute short and devastatingly simple. In a post on Facebook, he wrote: “Every day, there is a persistent silence. We miss you so much.”
This image shows the original Black Sabbath lineup before their final chapter together. A year after Ozzy Osbourne’s death, Bill Ward’s tribute focused not on the music they made, but on the silence his friend left behind. | Source: Getty Images
The band’s official account posted a simple farewell: “Ozzy Forever! ✌🏽🪽”
As family, friends, bandmates, and fans reflected on Ozzy Osbourne’s legacy, the anniversary also renewed interest in how the rock legend had spoken about his own death years before it happened.
Before his passing on July 22, 2025, Ozzy shared how he wanted the world to view his death on several occasions, and it was rarely in solemn terms. In interviews spanning more than a decade across press and television, he spoke with honesty and sarcasm about his own mortality and what his funeral service might include.
In 2011, The Times featured a special piece where the 76-year-old answered questions from regular people. A woman named Macy, from Kent, asked if it was “morbid to plan your own funeral?”
She wanted to do something thoughtful, like when Peter Sellers asked for a specific song for his service, which was ultimately a joke because everyone knew he hated that tune.
Peter Sellers as Insp Jacques Clouseau from “The Pink Panther” on the set in 1963 | Source: Getty Images
Ozzy answered with his characteristically blunt humor. “I honestly don’t care what they play at my funeral; they can put on a medley of Justin Bieber, Susan Boyle and We Are the Diddymen if it makes ’em happy — but I do want to make sure it’s a celebration, not a mope-fest,” he shared.
