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One band was kicked off the last “Crazy Train.”
Sharon Osbourne, the wife and manager of iconic heavy metal musician Ozzy Osbourne, recently shared that she prevented a particular group from attending her husband’s poignant final concert, as they were attempting to capitalize on his farewell performance.
Speaking to Billboard prior to the event, the television personality emphasized, “This is not the appropriate time to focus on financial gain. I will reveal the identities of those individuals after the concert concludes, and I believe the revelation will come as a surprise to many.”
The legendary band Black Sabbath, comprised of Osbourne, Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, and Bill Ward, bid farewell with a star-studded event titled “Back to the Beginning” at Villa Park Stadium in Birmingham, England, a meaningful location as it marks the band’s inception in 1968.
All of the money raised during the all-day show was set to go to three charities: Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Acorn Children’s Hospice.
The concert for the Prince of Darkness, who lives with Parkinson’s and billed the event as his final on-stage performance, was hosted by “Aquaman” star Jason Momoa and sold out at the 42,000-seat stadium.
The concert marked the first time original Black Sabbath band members performed together in 20 years.
The “War Pigs” vocalist arrived on stage sitting in a black leather chair, black eyeliner and had a large smile on his face as he pumped up the crowd.
“Are you ready?” Ozzy asked excited fans, according to a video posted on social media. “Let the madness begin!”
The “Iron Man” frontman got emotional as her performed a 20-minute set alongside his longtime bandmates for the final time, often thanking his fans for attending the megashow.
Osbourne closed his five-song performance with the 1980 hit “Crazy Train.”
“It’s the last song ever. Your support has enabled us to live an amazing lifestyle, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. I love you,” Osbourne told the crowd.
Additional performances included bands like Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Slayer, Tool, Pantera, Gojira, Alice in Chains, Halestorm, Lamb of God, Anthrax, Mastodon and Rival Sons.
“It has been overwhelmingly gratifying to have so many major bands showing their love for this band, and willingly doing it all for charity,” Butler, Black Sabbath’s bassist, told Billboard Magazine.
“We were always hated by the music press, but the people that matter — the fans and other musicians — have been overwhelmingly supportive of Sabbath and were always proud to acknowledge our influence on them.”
Osbourne confirmed he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2020 and has been open about the toll it has had on his body.
On top of the neurological disorder, the musician canceled his tour in 2023 so he could focus on recovery from a spinal surgery, as he’s had long-lasting health issues following a 2003 quad-biking accident.