Ozzy Osbourne was unwell for years ahead of his devastating death, but Black Sabbath bandmate Geezer Butler has admitted he was shocked by how ‘frail’ the icon had become.
Ozzy died aged 76 on July 22, mere weeks after the War Pigs legends had performed their final show in their home town of Birmingham.
Among other tributes from music icons, bassist Geezer penned an emotional farewell to his friend of almost 60 years in the Sunday Times, recalling those last moments together.
‘I knew he wasn’t in good health, but I wasn’t prepared to see how frail he was,’ the musician wrote of the rehearsals.
He shared how Ozzy was helped into the room by two people and a nurse, while using a black cane for balance (which was, of course, covered in gold and precious stones).
Geezer continued: ‘He didn’t really say much beyond the usual greetings and when he sang, he sat in a chair. We ran through the songs but we could see it was exhausting him after six or seven songs. We had a bit of a chat, but he was really quiet compared with the Ozzy of old.’
The pair had played together even before Sabbath formed, originally performing in a group called Rare Breed.
Recalling how they met, Geezer shared how they would walk home from a club called Penthouse in Birmingham on opposite sides of the road.
Ozzy would be rocking his ‘cropped hair and mod suit’ while the bassist had his hair long and ‘looked like a hippy’.
‘Little did I know then that within a year we would form what would become Black Sabbath and create a whole new form of rock music,’ he added.
Geezer shared: ‘To me, Ozzy wasn’t the Prince of Darkness — if anything he was the Prince of Laughter. He’d do anything for a laugh, a born entertainer.’
He called them ‘inseparable brothers in arms’ after their first-ever Sabbath gig ended in a brawl, with Ozzy and Tony Iommi apparently knowing how to defend themselves.
‘People always thought Ozzy was a feral wild man, but he had a heart of pure gold,’ the bassist continued. ‘If you were a friend in need, Ozzy was always there for you.
‘When my son was born with a heart defect, Ozzy called me every day to see how I was coping, even though we hadn’t spoken for a year.’
Over the years, Ozzy left the band several times to pursue a solo career as well as his TV antics, like on The Osbournes.
Wrapping his tribute, Geezer said: ‘Nobody knew he’d be gone from us little more than two weeks after the final show. But I am so grateful we got to play one last time together in front of his beloved fans.
‘The love from the fans and all the bands, musicians, singers and solo artists that night was incredible. Everyone had come to pay homage to the Prince. I am so privileged to have spent most of my life with him.
‘Of course, there are millions of things I will think of that I should have written, but how can I sum up 57 incredible years of friendship in a few paragraphs? God bless, Oz, it has been one hell of a ride! Love you!’
Ozzy’s daughter Kelly was the first family member to share a personal tribute after his death, writing: ‘I feel unhappy, I am so sad. I love the best friend I ever had.’
Sharon, who married the Prince of Darkness in 1982, has not spoken publicly but is set to play a ‘big role’ in the musician’s upcoming biography.
A source told The Sun on Sunday newspaper: ‘This book was basically Ozzy’s last confessions and contains a lot of passages about how he is sorry for the affair [with hairstylist Michelle Pugh].
‘As he was always brutally honest during his life, it’s been decided not a word will be changed, even about painful times in his life and how his affair affected Sharon.’
When announcing his death, the family said in a statement: ‘It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning.
‘He was with his family and surrounded by love.’
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