Tony Iommi remembers Ozzy Osbourne: “I still can’t believe that he’s not with us”
Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi has paid tribute to Ozzy Osbourne on the one-year anniversary of his death.
Iommi has taken to social media to issue a heartfelt statement to remember his late friend exactly 365 days after he sadly departed the world on June 22nd, 2025, aged 78, after suffering a cardiac arrest at his home in Buckinghamshire.
Notably, Iommi and Osbourne spent a considerable amount of time together in the weeks leading up to his death.
Along with the rest of Black Sabbath, they were awarded the Freedom of Birmingham, as well as rehearsing for Back to the Beginning, which saw them perform for the last time at Villa Park just weeks before Ozzy’s death.
Now, taking to X, Iommi has issued an emotional message on the first anniversary of Ozzy’s death, writing, “Hi everyone. Well, it’s now a year since Ozzy’s passing and I still can’t believe that he’s not with us.”
Iommi then solemnly shared, “I watch him on YouTube and it feels like he’s still here with us. We always stayed in touch, almost every week or so and we’d usually talk about our ailments and then about what we’d been doing that particular week.”
The Black Sabbath icon also thanked the band’s fanbase for their support over the last 12 months, writing, “The fans have been absolutely brilliant and the love and respect that they have shown for him has just been amazing.”
However, one saving grace is that they did get to have their last hurrah on stage together, with Iommi adding, “I’m so glad that we were able to play one final show with the original line up of Sabbath at the Back To The Beginning show in our home town of Birmingham!”
He powerfully added, “There will never be another Ozzy. I miss you my dear friend.”
Sharon Osbourne has also remembered her late husband today, telling local BBC radio in the West Midlands, that she wants people to “remember how funny he was – funny and charismatic and real” on the anniversary.
Sharon then told fans, “As Ozzy would say, ‘when you want to remember me, just yank up the music really loud, as loud as you can get it, and just head bang’.”
After praising her late husband for being “authentic”, Sharon added, “He never tried to be anything other than what he was, and he would tell you the truth about everything and that was him, you knew where you were with him.”
Additionally, Sharon and Ozzy’s daughter, Kelly Osbourne, has also taken to Instagram to remember her late father, writing, “One year ago today, the world changed forever. Today, I sit here beside you in a way I never thought would be possible. I know you are still with me.”
Today (July 22nd), Ozzy’s hometown, Birmingham, is hosting the first edition of Ozzy Day to celebrate his legacy, which, among other things, has seen the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra deliver a special performance to honour him at the Bullring.
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