Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi is worried about the band’s big goodbye gig in Birmingham on July 5, as reports emerge that frontman Ozzy Osbourne’s heart is being monitored daily.
The Back To The Beginning show, taking place at the iconic Villa Park stadium, will see the full Black Sabbath line-up – composed of Tony, Ozzy, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward – reunite on stage for the first time in 20 years.
The show – also with supporting performances from the likes of Metallica and Slayer – is billed as Ozzy’s final farewell to fans, following his health decline due to a 2020 Parkinson’s diagnosis and extensive spinal surgery.
Speaking to Music Week three weeks ahead of the show, Tony admitted: ‘This would be a big, monumental thing if it all comes good. The worrying thing for me is the unknown.
‘We don’t know what’s going to happen. Normally, when we’d tour, we’d rehearse and run through the thing for a while, and it’s just us. But with this event there are so many other moving parts.
‘You’re used to Ozzy running around, but he certainly won’t be doing that for this show. I don’t know if he’s going to be standing or sitting on a throne or what.’
Last month, chatting on Ozzy Speaks, The Osbournes star revealed his blood pressure was being taken 15 times a day.
Ozzy explained: ‘I have 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. I’m giving it everything I’ve got.
‘It’s endurance. The first thing that goes when you’re laid up is your stamina.
‘I am having my blood pressure taken 15 times a day.. I’ve got this f***ing device on my finger. It’s a monitor to say how my heart rate is.’
The one-off charity concert will see Ozzy perform a solo segment before the legendary rockers come together one final time.
Proceeds will raise money for Cure Parkinson’s, the Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Acorn Children’s Hospice.
As per Tony’s words, last month Ozzy confessed he might be ‘sitting down’ for the show.
‘I’ll be there, and I’ll do the best I can. So all I can do is turn up,’ he told The Guardian.
As well as his daily heart monitoring, Ozzy revealed a vocal coach was working with him four days a week to ‘keep [his] voice going’.
‘I have problems walking. I also get blood pressure issues, from blood clots on my legs,’ he said.
Ozzy’s wife Sharon Osbourne announced the news of the farewell gig in February.
‘It’s very emotional but very happy. It’s time for Ozzy to say goodnight to everybody, and what better way to do it than to do it surrounded by your friends, your family, and back to the beginning – the place where he was born – in Aston,’ she said.
‘He’s very happy to be coming back and very emotional about this,’ Sharon told The Sun following the announcement.
‘Parkinson’s is a progressive disease. It’s not something you can stabilise. It affects different parts of the body and it’s affected his legs.
‘But his voice is as good as it’s ever been.’
Taking place all day, the heavy metal festival will also feature a supergroup of musicians including Billy Corgan from The Smashing Pumpkins, Duff McKagan and Slash from Guns ‘n Roses, Frank Durst from Limp Bizkit, Mike Bordin from Faith No More, and Tom Morello from Rage Against The Machine.
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