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The
76-year-old singer, who has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s
disease, sang from a black throne that rose up from under the
stage.
“Let the madness begin!” he urged as he took the stage, and
later paid tribute to fans.
“I don’t know what to say, man, I’ve been laid up for like six
years. You have no idea how I feel — thank you from the bottom
of my heart,” Osbourne said. “You’re all … special. Let’s go
crazy, come on.”
Osbourne performed several songs solo before being joined
onstage, for the first time in 20 years, by Black Sabbath
bandmates Tony Iommi, Terence “Geezer” Butler and Bill Ward. The
band ended a short set with “Paranoid," one of its most famous
songs.
It capped a day-long metal festival that included performances
from the likes of Anthrax, Metallica and Guns N’Roses. Artists
who sent plaudits and well-wishes included Jack Black, Dolly
Parton and Elton John.
“You are one of the most remarkable singers of our time,” John
said. “You are the king, you are the legend.”
Osbourne formed Black Sabbath in 1968 in Birmingham, a city then
known for its heavy industry that became the crucible of the
British metal scene. Black Sabbath’s devil imagery and
thunderous sound made them one of the era's most influential —
and parent-scaring — metal acts. Both the band and Osbourne as a
solo artist have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of
Fame.
Osbourne’s fame expanded into the mainstream in the early 2000s,
when he joined his wife Sharon Osbourne, and two of their
children in the MTV reality TV show “The Osbournes.”
He has struggled with health issues since 2003 following a
near-fatal quad bike crash. He revealed his Parkinson’s
diagnosis in 2020 and paused touring in 2023 after spinal
surgery.
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