Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward pay emotional tributes to Ozzy Osbourne
Following the death of rock icon Ozzy Osbourne, aged 76, his Black Sabbath bandmates have paid tribute to the late singer.
In a statement, the Osbourne family confirmed the sad news on July 22nd, writing on social media, “It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love.”
The message, signed by his wife Sharon as well as his children Jack, Kelly, Aimee and Louis, concluded by saying, “We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.” No cause of death has been disclosed.
Osbourne’s death occurred only weeks after Black Sabbath reunited at Villa Park for one final show, which marked the first time their original line-up of Ozzy, Bill Ward, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler had played together in over 20 years.
During the concert, Osbourne also performed a short solo set before joining his bandmates to end the set in style at their old stomping ground in Aston, ending their story in the same place it started in the 1960s.
Due to his mobility issues, Osbourne performed from a throne, but the concert raised close to $200 million for Cure Parkinson’s, Acorns Children’s Hospice, and Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
In his tribute, Iommi reflected on the concert, writing, “I just can’t believe it! My dear dear friend Ozzy has passed away only weeks after our show at Villa Park. It’s just such heartbreaking news that I can’t really find the words, there won’t ever be another like him. Geezer, Bill and myself have lost our brother. My thoughts go out to Sharon and all the Osbourne family. Rest in peace Oz.”
Similarly, Butler reminisced fondly in his tribute of their grand farewell: “Goodbye dear friend – thanks for all those years – we had some great fun. 4 kids from Aston- who’d have thought, eh? So glad we got to do it one last time, back in Aston.”
Lastly, Ward poignantly wrote alongside an image of the pair together as young men, “Where will I find you now? In the memories, our unspoken embraces, our missed phone calls, no, you’re forever in my heart. Deepest condolences to Sharon and all family members. RIP Sincere regrets to all the fans. Never goodbye. Thank you forever.”
While no cause of death has been provided regarding Osbourne, the rock legend was open about his struggle with Parkinson’s. Earlier this month, he announced plans to release a new memoir, Last Rites, detailing his health struggles in recent years.
In a short excerpt from the upcoming book, Osbourne reflected on his life, writing, “People say to me, if you could do it all again, knowing what you know now, would you change anything? I’m like, fuck no. If I’d been clean and sober, I wouldn’t be Ozzy. If I’d done normal, sensible things, I wouldn’t be Ozzy… Look, if it ends tomorrow, I can’t complain. I’ve been all around the world. Seen a lot of things. I’ve done good… and I’ve done bad. But right now, I’m not ready to go anywhere.”
Last Rites is scheduled for release on October 7th, 2025.
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