Black Sabbath’s original lineup reunited for the first time in 20 years on Saturday (July 5) at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, for Ozzy Osbourne’s final live performance ever. Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Slayer, Tool, and other hard rock luminaries all paid tribute to Sabbath and Ozzy in front of the sold-out crowd of 40,000 metal fans from across the world (plus a peak audience of 5.8 million fans watching the livestream). The monumental 10-hour event – hosted by actor Jason Momoa – featured metal and hard rock superstars performing mini-sets filled with their own material as well as Sabbath and Ozzy covers.
Black Sabbath ultimately closed the show with heavy metal anthems like “War Pigs,” “Iron Man,” and “Paranoid.” Osbourne, seated in an all-black winged throne throughout his performance, also delivered a powerful solo set supported by longtime bandmate Zakk Wylde that included fan-favorites like “Crazy Train” and “Suicide Solution.” Before playing “Mama I’m Coming Home” Ozzy alluded to his recent health struggles, telling the audience that he had been “laid up for six years,” while adding, “Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
The event also featured a variety of supergroups featuring Steven Tyler, Billy Corgan, Ronnie Wood, Travis Barker, Sammy Hagar, Korn’s Jonathan Davis, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith, Vernon Reid, and Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello, who served as the official curator of the day’s lineup. Following the festivities, Ozzy experienced one more unforgettable moment, as his daughter, Kelly, got engaged to Slipknot’s Sid Wilson backstage after the show. (Variety)
