In a book he completed just before his death, Ozzy Osbourne looked back on his struggle to sing the most emotional song at his farewell show.
In an excerpt from the upcoming Last Rites, via The Times, the late Black Sabbath icon said he became overwhelmed as he delivered “Mama, I’m Coming Home” in Birmingham, England, three weeks before his death.
And he reflected that, having conquered decades of addiction issues before his passing at 76, being on stage surrounded by friends and fans had been the best drug of his life.
Osbourne described his reunion with the other original members of Sabbath as a family experience, made more so by the fact that their old crew had gathered to work the show.
His inability to stand due to a series of medical issues meant Osbourne performed on a custom-made throne. “It was a necessary evil and they made the best of it,” he said. “At one point there was talk of making it fly over the stage and shoot water at the crowd – but thank fuck that didn’t happen, ’cos knowing my luck it would have crashed!”
READ MORE: First ‘Sharon & Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home’ Trailer Arrives
He admitted to having doubts about his voice as he went on stage to perform his solo band set. “But as soon as the curtain went up I forgot about my nerves. Suddenly I was looking out over 42,000 faces, with another 5.8 million watching online.
“That was when the emotion really hit me. I’d never really taken it on board that so many people liked me – or even knew who I was.”
Ozzy Osbourne’s Farewell Show Was His Best Medicine in Six Years
Osbourne said he’d handled the first three songs without issue. “But I choked up when I started ‘Mama, I’m Coming Home.’ I mean, it’s Sharon’s song, y’know? One of her favourites. Lemmy [Kilmister] wrote it with the two of us in mind.
“But the feeling I had was about more than that. It was my last hurrah. I’d made it to the stage after six traumatic years, after losing the ability to walk or do anything on my own. It was just the whole thing, all of it coming together.”
He added: “There was so much love in that stadium, coming at me in waves… The crowd noticed I was struggling and they started singing back the words. I’ve been so lucky to have had so many wonderful fans. God bless you all.”
That last concert, Osbourne said, was “the best medicine I’ve had since all my medical shit started back in 2019. It was a magical night. It couldn’t have been better.” He continued: “What I’ve realized is that the one place where I’m free of all my demons is on a stage… I spent my whole life trying to get high from every substance known to man. … I was just trying to get back the feeling of when I was up there onstage, doing my job.
“The packed arena; The thump of the bass drum you can feel in your stomach. Forty or fifty thousand voices singing back your words. All along, that’s what I was chasing. It was the best drug I ever took.”
Last Rites will be published on Oct. 7 via Hachette.
Photos of Ozzy Osbourne’s Family Through the Years
To celebrate the life and legacy of Ozzy Osbourne, here are photos of the rocker’s family from the late ’70s through 2024.
Gallery Credit: Lauryn Schaffner
