Sharon Osbourne Opens Up About Ozzy’s Final Days on the First Anniversary of His Death

The topic of Ozzy’s Final raises many questions. On the first anniversary of Ozzy Osbourne’s death, his widow Sharon has revealed a deeply personal story she had never shared before—the four words that changed everything in the rock legend’s final days.

The city of Birmingham honored its hometown hero with a full day of music and tributes, marking what would have been Ozzy’s first year gone. But amid the celebrations, Sharon gave a raw and emotional radio interview that shed new light on the weeks leading up to the Prince of Darkness’s final performance.

Ozzy Day: A City Remembers Its Favorite Son

As reported by the BBC, the city of Birmingham marked one year since Ozzy’s passing with a day of music and celebration affectionately called “Ozzy Day.” Fans dressed in black, many wearing tribute T-shirts to Ozzy or Black Sabbath, filled the streets and visited the sites most connected to the heavy metal icon. At New Street station, long queues formed to pose with the mechanical Ozzy the Bull statue, which had been specially dressed up for the occasion. Everyone who took a photo received a free commemorative Polaroid.

Fans continued leaving flowers, messages, and personal tributes at Black Sabbath Bridge throughout the day. A five-piece group called Bostin Brass, who had performed at Ozzy’s funeral procession, played on the streets, including a set at the Black Sabbath bench. The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra also performed a special show dedicated to Ozzy in the Bullring.

Among the crowds were Julie Sawyer and her daughter Holly, who traveled from Nottingham. Julie lost her husband Paul in March 2025. Paul was a huge Ozzy fan and had “Crazy Train” played at his funeral. Julie said it was emotional to be in Birmingham for Ozzy Day, but they “couldn’t not be here.” Another group had flown in all the way from Monterrey, Mexico, just to pay their respects.

The Secret That Sharon Never Told

Sharon herself was in Birmingham to mark its first-ever Ozzy Day. She said Ozzy was “proud” of his “humble beginnings” and became tearful when asked why it was important for her to be there. “Because I can’t forget what Birmingham did for Ozzy,” she said, her voice breaking. Although he rose to global superstardom, she added, he never forgot where he came from.

Then came the part that fans had never heard before. In an interview with a BBC local radio station, Sharon revealed that the “Back to the Beginning” benefit show—Ozzy’s final performance—very nearly never happened. “Ozzy knew that he was dying. He was told two weeks before the show that he was dying, and they said ‘don’t do the show,'” she revealed.

The musician, who had been battling Parkinson’s disease at the age of seventy-six, had other ideas. “He said, ‘Yeah, right. Get out of here,'” Sharon recalled. The concert, which benefited a range of UK charities, gave her husband one last chance to do what he loved most. “It was a gift to be surrounded by his loyal crew, his friends, his family, the fans,” she said. She added that Ozzy delivered a memorable performance that no one who witnessed it would ever forget.

Two Weeks of Happiness

For the last two weeks of his life, Sharon said Ozzy was “the happiest” she had ever seen him. “It was just so great to see him every day smiling,” she said, describing the experience as an “absolute joy” that proved a huge boost at a very difficult time. She explained that Ozzy had struggled with depression in his final months because he knew his life was coming to an end. He also feared that he would no longer be able to sing.

When asked what her message would be for fans on the anniversary, Sharon did not hesitate. “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,'” she said, capturing her late husband’s spirit perfectly.

Kelly Osbourne’s Heartbreaking Tribute

Sharon’s daughter, Kelly Osbourne, shared her own tribute on Instagram, addressing her late father directly in a lengthy and emotional post. “One year ago today, the world changed forever,” she began. “I know you are still with me. I feel you in the quiet, in the wind, in every song that stops me in my tracks, in the smell of your cologne.”

“The hardest part isn’t that you’re gone. The hardest part is that I can’t touch you. I can’t hold your hand,” she wrote. “I always thought life was hard, but life without you has been the hardest thing I have ever had to endure.” Kelly said she catches glimpses of her father in her young son. “Your smile. Your spirit. Your mannerisms. Sometimes it stops me in my tracks.” She called Ozzy “a true working-class hero who never forgot what he came from.”

Bandmates Remember the Legend

Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi also marked the anniversary, writing on Instagram that he still struggles to believe Ozzy is gone. “I watch him on YouTube and it feels like he’s still here with us,” Tony wrote. He thanked fans for the “love and respect” they have shown Ozzy and said he was grateful the original Black Sabbath lineup reunited one last time for the “Back to the Beginning” show in Birmingham. “There will never be another Ozzy. I miss you, my dear friend,” he said.

Bassist Geezer Butler echoed the sentiment, posting that he was grateful the original lineup had one last chance to share a stage together before Ozzy’s death. “One year ago today—hard to believe. I am so glad we were able to do the final show, back in our hometown, just a couple of weeks before Ozzy left us. Gone in body, but his legend lives on. Such incredible memories. Ozzy forever!”

Drummer Bill Ward kept his tribute short and devastatingly simple. In a post on Facebook, he wrote: “Every day, there is a persistent silence. We miss you so much.” The band’s official account posted a simple farewell: “Ozzy Forever!”

Ozzy’s Final: What Ozzy Wanted You to Remember

Before his passing on July 22, 2025, Ozzy had spoken on several occasions about how he wanted the world to view his death. In interviews spanning more than a decade, he spoke with characteristic honesty and sarcasm about his own mortality and what his funeral service might include.

In a 2011 interview with The Times, Ozzy was asked about planning one’s own funeral. He answered with his trademark blunt humor: “I honestly don’t care what they play at my funeral; they can put on a medley of Justin Bieber, Susan Boyle and We Are the Diddymen if it makes ’em happy—but I do want to make sure it’s a celebration, not a mope-fest.”

He even suggested playing pranks at the service, like someone knocking from inside the coffin, or showing a video where he demands a “second opinion” from his physician. “It’s worth remembering that a lot of people see nothing but misery their whole lives. So by any measure, most of us in this country—especially rock stars like me—are very lucky. That’s why I don’t want my funeral to be sad. I want it to be a time to say ‘thanks,'” he explained.

When asked during a 2020 interview on Good Morning Britain what he would like his epitaph to be, the Prince of Darkness answered without missing a beat: “Bats taste like [expletive].” It was the perfect final word from a man who never took himself too seriously, even when facing the end.