Ozzy Osbourne passed away recently, and Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler is reflecting on a much more personal farewell, one that came during the band’s final performance together, just weeks before Osbourne’s passing at 76.
In an emotional essay, Butler opened up about what made that last night not just unforgettable, but quietly heartbreaking.
The show, held at Birmingham’s Villa Park on July 5, carried deep meaning for the band, which had formed decades earlier in the same city.
The reunion was sparked by a 2024 Aston Villa ad, their first meeting since the 2017 farewell tour.
“So it was quite fitting, for Ozzy and Black Sabbath to end the long journey from our beginning in 1968 to our final show back in Aston at Villa Park,” Butler wrote.
But he admitted, “I didn’t realize then that I would never see Ozzy again after that night.”
Rehearsals had begun a month earlier with Butler, Tony Iommi, and Bill Ward. When Osbourne finally arrived, Butler said it was clear that time had taken a toll.
“I knew he wasn’t in good health, but I wasn’t prepared to see how frail he was.” Osbourne needed assistance walking, supported by two helpers, a nurse, and a cane, which, true to his personality, was “black and studded with gold and precious stones.”
Butler described the rehearsal atmosphere as low-spirited.
Osbourne, seated and softly spoken, sang through a few tracks before tiring out. It was a far cry from the energetic icon fans remember, and Butler sensed the weight of it all.
Yet what stuck with him as the “strangest part of that show” was how the final moment on stage didn’t go as expected.
“Normally, we would all hug each other and take a bow to the audience,” he said.
“But Ozzy was on his throne and we hadn’t thought that out. What do we do? Tony shook his hand, I presented him with a cake, but it was such a strange feeling to end our story like that.”
He ended the reflection with bittersweet regret, “I wish I’d had more time backstage with Ozzy, but wishes are redundant now. As Ozzy used to say, ‘Wish in one hand and sh*t in the other and see which comes first.’”
