Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath raise close to $200 million for charity with farewell show
Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath‘s farewell show at Villa Park on July 5th raised almost $200 million for vital charities close to their heart, it has been revealed.
Osbourne’s last hurrah took place at the home of his beloved Aston Villa FC over the weekend and saw the heavy rock community come together to celebrate his legacy as a solo artist along with the pioneering career of Black Sabbath.
Due to his ongoing health problems amid his Parkinson’s disease struggle, Osbourne performed both of his sets from a throne on the Villa Park stage. Notably, Cure Parkinson’s were one of the three charities to receive funding from the huge show.
The other two charities that are set to benefit from the huge show, titled Back to the Beginning, are the local Birmingham institutions Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Acorn Children’s Hospice, who both provide vital work.
The concert sold-out in quick time, with more than 40,000 fans snapping up tickets. Back to the Beginning was also live-streamed for £24.99 and The Guardian claim more than 5.8 million took up this offer, which has helped the concert raise huge sums for the charities involved.
Tom Morello, who was enlisted as the musical director for the bonanza, took to Instagram to reveal the final sum. He wrote that “more than $190million will be donated to houses and hospitals for children” and also reflected on the day, sharing, “We raised a ton of money for a great cause and so many great musicians & bands & fans all over the world paid tribute to the ALL TIME greats.”
Although Black Sabbath only performed a short set, it was a triumphant affair that closed with ‘Paranoid‘. Before drawing the show to a close, Osbourne told those in attendance: “It’s the last song ever. Your support has enabled us to live an amazing lifestyle, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
Other acts who performed at Back to the Beginning include Blink-182’s Travis Barker, Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Yungblud, Jack Black, Alice In Chains, Billy Corgan, Tool, Slayer, and many more. Every artist on the bill also waived their fee.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Music Newsletter
All the latest music news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.