Ozzy Osbourne’s Last Words to Tony Iommi Revealed: A Farewell That Rock History Will Never Forget
It has been just a short time since the shocking news of Ozzy Osbourne’s death broke, and yet the world is still trying to process the loss. For millions of fans, Ozzy wasn’t just the frontman of Black Sabbath; he was the voice of an era, a symbol of rebellion, and one of the greatest rock icons of all time. But for Tony Iommi, Black Sabbath’s legendary guitarist, Ozzy was far more than that—he was a brother, a friend, and a partner in music whose absence leaves an irreplaceable void.
In an emotional new interview with ITV News, Tony Iommi opened up about his final conversations with Ozzy, sharing never-before-heard details about their last exchange. His words paint a heartbreaking picture of a man who gave his all to music until his very last breath.
The Shock of Loss
“Yeah, it was a shock for us [to find out that Ozzy had died],” Iommi said, visibly shaken. “I mean, when I heard yesterday, it couldn’t sink in. I thought, ‘It can’t be.’ I only had a text from him the day before. It just seemed unreal, surreal. And it really didn’t sink in. In the night I started thinking about it: ‘God, am I dreaming all this?’”
The disbelief in Iommi’s voice reflected the same feeling felt by countless fans around the world. For those who followed Ozzy’s health struggles in recent years, it was clear that he had been fighting with diminishing strength. Yet, to many—including his closest bandmates—the end still felt impossible.
A Final Performance to Remember
Iommi recalled how Ozzy seemed determined to push through his pain to deliver Black Sabbath’s farewell performance, poignantly titled Back To The Beginning. It was not just another show; it was a historical closing chapter.
“He’s not looked well through the rehearsals,” Iommi admitted. “And I think he really just held out to do that show. I really feel, and me and Geezer [Butler, Sabbath bassist] were talking about it last night, that we think he held out to do it, and just after that, he’s done it and said goodbye to the fans. And that was the end of it, really.”
The concert became more than a performance—it was a symbolic farewell to an era that defined heavy metal. For Ozzy, it was the ultimate gift to the fans who had stood by him for decades. For the band, it was their last bow as pioneers of a genre that changed music forever.
The Final Goodbye
Perhaps the most touching part of Iommi’s recollection came when he described his last meeting with Ozzy after that show.
“Well, he went to his dressing room and I went to mine and Geez went to his and so on,” Iommi shared. “And then he came over. He came around before he was leaving on a wheelchair that brought him in to say goodbye and have a little chat for a bit. And he seemed all right. He enjoyed it. And he said, ‘Oh, it went all right, didn’t it?’ I said, ‘Yeah, it did.’”
Those words—“It went all right, didn’t it?”—may seem simple, but in context, they were deeply meaningful. They were Ozzy’s way of finding comfort in knowing the show had succeeded, that the final bow had been taken, and that he had left his fans with a memory they would never forget.
Iommi revealed that just a day before his passing, Ozzy had sent him a text admitting his exhaustion. “He said he’s tired and he’s really got no energy. And I thought, ‘Oh, dear.’ ‘Cause it’s a lot for him to do that under the problems he’s got.”
Even in those final days, Ozzy pushed himself for the music, for his brothers in the band, and for the millions who adored him.
Memories and Brotherhood
Iommi went on to share how rehearsals for the farewell were bittersweet. They weren’t just about running through setlists; they were about revisiting decades of memories.
“He’d sit down and sing a few songs, and then we’d talk about some rubbish old times or whatever, have a laugh, and then he’d go,” Iommi remembered with a faint smile. Those little moments—filled with laughter, nostalgia, and camaraderie—were perhaps the truest essence of Black Sabbath: four friends who built something eternal together.
The final show also reunited them with drummer Bill Ward, marking the end of a 20-year gap. “To have Bill with us as well after all these years, after 20 years of not playing with Bill… I can’t believe it’s 20 years, to be honest,” Iommi said. The reunion, bittersweet and powerful, became a reminder of the unbreakable bond that tied Sabbath together—even in the face of time and loss.
A Legacy That Lives On
For Tony Iommi, the grief is still raw. For the fans, the world feels quieter without Ozzy’s larger-than-life presence. Yet, his last words to Iommi—simple, human, and humble—perfectly encapsulate the man behind the legend.
He wasn’t just the “Prince of Darkness.” He was John Michael Osbourne from Birmingham, a man who rose from working-class roots to become the voice of a generation. He was flawed, fragile, funny, and fiercely devoted to the music that kept him alive for so long.
As Iommi summed it up: “The gig was for him [to say goodbye], really, and for us to say goodbye, ’cause also Sabbath saying goodbye; it was the end of the band, and we’ll never do that again.”
And yet, even if Black Sabbath never performs again, the echoes of Ozzy’s voice—his wild laughter, his raw screams, his tender words to his bandmates—will live forever in rock history.
For fans, for Tony Iommi, and for everyone who has ever been touched by his music, Ozzy’s final goodbye wasn’t really an ending. It was the beginning of his immortality.
