Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi has spoken publicly for the first time since the death of Ozzy Osbourne. Iommi spoke at length with UK broadcaster ITV about Ozzy's passing, and about Sabbath's Back To The Beginning show earlier this month, when the Prince Of Darkness took his final bow alongside the other founding members of Sabbath: Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward.
"It was a shock for us," says Iommi. "I mean, when I heard yesterday, it couldn’t sink in. I thought, ‘It can’t be.’ I only had a text from him the day before. It just seemed unreal, surreal. And it really didn’t sink in. And in the night, I started thinking about it: ‘God, am I dreaming all this?’ But as I said before, he’s not looked well through the rehearsals.
"I think he really just held out to do that show. I really feel – and me and Geezer were talking about it last night – that we think he held out to do it, and just after that, he’s done it and said goodbye to the fans. And that was the end of it, really.
“I think he must have had something in his head that said, ‘Well, this is gonna be it, the last thing I’m ever gonna do.’ Whether he thought he was gonna die or what, I don’t know. But he really wanted to do it, and he was determined to do it. And fair dues, he’d done it."
Iommi is also asked about Ozzy's own reaction to the performance, which saw him perform five songs with his own band before a final four with Black Sabbath.
"Well, he went to his dressing room and I went to mine and Geez went to his and so on," says Iommi. "And then he came over. He came around before he was leaving on a wheelchair that brought him in to say goodbye and have a little chat for a bit. And he seemed all right. He enjoyed it. And he said, ‘Oh, it went all right, didn’t it?’ I said, ‘Yeah, it did.’
"But as I say, when I had the text off him the day before yesterday saying he’s tired and he’s really got no energy. And I thought, ‘Oh, dear.’ ‘Cause it’s a lot for him to do that under the problems he’s got.
"And we could see it in rehearsal. We didn’t want him there every day at rehearsal, because it’s too much. He just wouldn’t be able to stand it. So they’d bring him in and he’d sit down and sing a few songs, and then we’d talk about some rubbish old times or whatever, have a laugh, and then he’d go. And that’s sort of what we did, really.
"But the gig was for him, really, and for us, to say goodbye, ’cause also Sabbath saying goodbye. It was the end of the band, and we’ll never do that again. And to have Bill drum with us as well after all these years, after 20 years of not playing with Bill. I can’t believe it’s 20 years, to be honest.
“I think he was moved and frustrated as well, ’cause he wanted to stand up. You could see he was trying to get up. But yeah, it meant everything to him. This is what we built up for, for that big ending where he could see all the people and we could all see all the people, and close it in that way. But we didn’t expect to close it so quick with Ozz. We didn’t expect him to go that quick, really. Well, we didn’t expect him to go. So it’s been a shock."
Watch the full video below.
In the wake of Ozzy's death, tributes came from across the globe, from musicians, media organisations, politicians, Hollywood stars, sports franchises and more.
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