Sharon Osbourne announced that her long-time husband and financial puppet, Ozzy Osbourne, will be performing two “Farewell” shows at what they seem to suggest will be in Ozzy’s hometown of Aston Villa at the stadium Villa Park. No dates have been released, but he will not tour again following the shows. Or so they say.
Ozzy said “goodbye” back in 1992 on the final leg of a tour supporting No More Tears, aptly titled the “No More Tours” Tour. The tour lasted about five months and featured opening acts such as Ugly Kid Joe, Faster Pussycat, Motorhead, and Alice In Chains. I caught this tour in Atlanta on August 18, 1992 in Atlanta with Ugly Kid Joe and Faster Pussycat supporting. The show was fantastic, and at 20 years old and an Ozzy fan for eight years, I remember thinking that this was Ozzy going out on top.
This “final show” in Atlanta was how I wanted to remember Ozzy Osbourne. I wanted to remember him as a madman, a king of the stage, a mysterious stage character that was the Mr. Hyde to his Dr. Jekyll. Even the album No More Tears, while not my favorite, was a great album and a great way to sign off from a very long, illustrious career that brought a lot of happiness and love to millions of people worldwide. Unfortunately, that memory would be scarred, tarnishing his legacy forever.
A mere four years after he “retired,” Ozzy resurfaced and hit the road with the “Retirement Sucks” tour. While I wasn’t thrilled that he went back on his word, I sure as hell wouldn’t turn down a chance to see Ozzy. He rolled into Atlanta on May 18, 1996, with support acts Sepultura and Type O Negative, and it was a show that I wish I had never attended. His guitarist of choice was former Lizzy Borden/David Lee Roth guitarist Joe Holmes (who was actually amazing), and the rhythm section featured at the time Suicidal Tendencies bassist Robert Trujillo and Faith No More drummer Mike “Puffy” Borden. While not my favorite rhythm section, they did a great job, and it was a fun and memorable show. The play-it-safe setlist didn’t make his “comeback” that exciting, but it was a great show, and honestly, I’m glad this was the last time I saw Ozzy.
Over the years, Ozzy’s voice and health began deteriorating, his mobility started getting worse, and his overall health was on a rapid decline. Sharon Osbourne would keep Ozzy out on the road for nearly 30 years and release six uninspired, lackluster albums, the last being Patient #9. I understand Ozzy’s desire to put out new music, but in all honesty, we know that Ozzy doesn’t write a lick or a word besides humming melodies. Patient #9 is the album we got given as his goodbye, which is a sad, harsh reality.
Had Ozzy said goodbye in 1992 as he promised, he would’ve been a legend, but now, as of 2023, he’s just an old, broken-down human being (which, at 75 and the life he lived he should be) with a voice that has long left him. Recent years saw Ozzy performing to backing tapes, and he has said that he is taking vocal coaching, but honestly, I doubt that anything he sings is remotely live.
So, two more shows left, and then Ozzy is packing it in? I’m sure Sharon will find a way to put his corpse into a cryogenic chamber, put him on the road, and charge $500 bucks a ticket if it could keep the flow of money coming in. It’s sad, but I like to believe I saw Ozzy when he was still on top of his game. I managed to avoid seeing him in the Ozzfest years but caught the ’99 Sabbath Ozzfest show in Atlanta, which was spectacular. Again, not only did I see Ozzy himself in a great place, but I got to see the last truly great Ozzy-era Black Sabbath tour.
I love Ozzy Osbourne as a human being, flaws and all. I always have, and I always will. I will also hate him for being the spineless puppet to his money-grabbing wife for the entirety of his career. To see him being dragged through the mud and caking his legacy in crap is something I will never forgive either of them for, yet at the same time, a world without Ozzy alive in it will be a sadder world.
The writing of this piece was essential for me, as a long-time fan, because now I feel I can move on and love the Ozzy that I loved. The mysterious Ozzy. The madman. The Prince of Darkness. When Ozzy has left this plane, there will be enough great music, archived live performances, and memories to last a lifetime.
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