Ozzy Osbourne is undergoing intensive physical training with a live-in trainer as he prepares for his final concert on 5 July at Villa Park in Birmingham.
The 76-year-old Black Sabbath frontman, who hasn’t performed a full show since 2018, has moved a specialist rehabilitation therapist into his Los Angeles home to help him build the stamina needed for the farewell performance.
“I haven’t done any physical work for the last seven, six and a half, seven years,” Osbourne said on SiriusXM’s Ozzy Speaks. “I’ve got this trainer guy who helps people get back to normal. It’s hard going, but he’s convinced that he can pull it off for me.”
The rocker is monitored constantly, wearing a pulse oximeter to track his heart rate and oxygen levels whilst having his blood pressure taken 15 times daily.
The concert will mark the first time that the original Black Sabbath lineup – Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward – have performed together in 20 years. The band last played with its founding members in 2005, with subsequent reunions featuring only partial lineups.
“By hook or by crook, I’m gonna make it there,” Osbourne declared, despite battling Parkinson’s disease and severe mobility issues that have left him struggling to walk.
The singer revealed he may perform seated rather than standing, admitting uncertainty about his stage setup just five weeks before the show.
“All I can say is I’m giving 120 per cent. If my God wants me to do the show, I’ll do it,” he said. The Back To The Beginning concert represents what his wife Sharon describes as Osbourne’s “full stop” – his final farewell to fans after being unable to properly conclude his touring career.
Despite his determination, Osbourne is battling severe stage fright and self-doubt ahead of the performance. “Believe you me, I still get stage fright,” he admitted, describing his mental state as consumed by ADHD and confidence fears.
“My head’s crazy. ADHD – I have that badly. I will have done the show and died a death before I even started my exercises,” Osbourne explained.
He then threw doubt over the concert, revealing how obsessive thoughts can derail his preparation: “I remember being in f***ing Vegas one time being in the dressing room going, ‘I’m going to play. I’m going to die.’ And I talked myself into blowing the gig.”
When asked if he feels excited about the farewell concert, Osbourne responded simply with the word “fear”. He remains uncertain whether fans will see him performing from a throne, mini Segway, or standing – if at all.
Osbourne’s training regimen focuses heavily on rebuilding his stamina and endurance after years of physical inactivity. “The first thing to go when you’re laid up is your stamina, so believe it or not, I’m doing two sets of three-minute walks a day and weight training,” he explained.
The singer described his current routine as “constantly in training seven days a week” with his live-in trainer.
“I’ve got this guy who’s virtually living with me, and I’m in bed by seven,” Osbourne said, highlighting the intensity of his preparation schedule.
His training represents a complete restart after extensive spinal surgery and prolonged recovery. “Three minutes to you, for instance, is nothing, but I’ve been laying on my back recovering from umpteen surgeries,” he noted, emphasising how basic movements have become challenging achievements in his current condition.
The Villa Park concert serves as a celebration of Black Sabbath’s profound influence on rock music, featuring tribute performances from bands including Metallica, Slayer, Lamb of God, Mastodon, Pantera and Anthrax.
“It’s all the people that we’ve influenced over the years,” Osbourne reflected, though he remains characteristically self-deprecating about the band’s legacy.
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“When we did the Ozzfest, bands would come to it and go, ‘Oh, man, Sabbath really was an influence.’ I’d go, ‘I think you’re just saying that.’ I’m very self-critical about people’s adoration,” he said.
All proceeds from the farewell show will support Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Acorn Children’s Hospice. A supergroup featuring musicians including Slash, Duff McKagan, Billy Corgan and Tom Morello will also perform Black Sabbath and Ozzy songs during the event.