Elton John and Dolly Parton among stars praise Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath farewell show
The Black Sabbath farewell show, Back to the Beginning, may have had an incredible line-up of live acts, but many stars recorded farewell messages to join in on the huge celebration.
On July 5th, Birmingham’s Villa Park saw over 40,000 metal fans congregate to celebrate the life and times of Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath. Some 56 years after they formed, the legendary night included Steven Tyler, Soundgarden, Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Slayer, Pantera, Alice in Chains, Anthrax, Mastodon, Tool, as well as members of Limp Bizkit, Smashing Pumpkins, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Megadeth, Van Halen, Ghost, and Faith No More.
But those who couldn’t make it still wanted to share their message with fans and friends. During the day-long concert, recorded videos were projected for everyone to see. The likes of Dolly Parton, Billy Idol, AC/DC and Marilyn Manson echoed across the vast venue.
Dolly Parton has already leaned into her alternative influences this summer; heavy rock band Mötley Crüe recently teamed up with the country superstar on a reimagined version of their hit, ‘Home Sweet Home’.
Elton John’s recorded message included the statement, “You are one of the most remarkable singers of our time. You are the king, you are the legend.”
He added, “You’ve been through so much crap in the last few years. I hope this is the best day of your life so far.” Osbourne has Parkinson’s disease, meaning he can no longer walk.
‘Paranoid’ was the final song that echoed throughout Villa Park. Black Sabbath’s short but historic set began with ‘War Pigs’, followed by ‘N.I.B’ and then by ‘Iron Man’. Before the band’s final set, Osbourne had rattled through hits like ‘Crazy Train’ and ‘Suicide Solution’ with his own band.
Osbourne was emotional during the show. He paid tribute to his fans on stage, stating, “I don’t know what to say, man, I’ve been laid up for six years. You have no idea how I feel — thank you from the bottom of my heart,” Osbourne said. “You’re all … special. Let’s go crazy, come on.”
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