Ozzy Osbourne, the iconic frontman of Black Sabbath and a defining force in heavy metal, died on July 22, 2025, at the age of 76. His passing came just 17 days after his triumphant farewell concert, "Back To The Beginning," at Villa Park football ground in Birmingham, UK—his hometown and the cradle of his musical legacy. For fans and collaborators alike, the shock was compounded by revelations that Osbourne was planning yet another creative chapter, with a new album in the works and longtime guitarist Zakk Wylde at his side.
According to NJ.com, Zakk Wylde—Osbourne’s close friend and creative partner for nearly four decades—shared the story of the late legend’s final ambitions. Wylde recalled, "He was texting me, 'Zakk, let’s do another record. Because I really loved it when you were going through your Allman Brothers, Skynyrd phase when we did No More Tears, it’s heavy but it’s more melodic, it’s not pummeling heavy.' So I said, 'Alright Oz, whatever you want.'" The exchange, as reported by Louder and NME, paints a poignant picture: even as Osbourne faced mounting health challenges, his creative fire burned undiminished.
Wylde’s history with Osbourne is storied. He replaced Jake E. Lee as Ozzy’s guitarist in 1987, contributing to classic albums like No Rest for the Wicked (1988), No More Tears (1991), and Ozzmosis (1995). After a brief hiatus, Wylde returned for Down To Earth (2001), and their collaborations, though less frequent in later years, remained close to both men’s hearts. Their shared musical journey reached a bittersweet climax with the July 5, 2025, concert—a monumental event that reunited the original Black Sabbath lineup onstage for the first time since 2005.
For Wylde, the concert was not just a farewell, but a testament to Osbourne’s resilience. "Just the fact that he willed himself to do that thing," Wylde told NJ.com. "Whatever things that we’ve run into, any obstacles or whatever, it’s always just a speed bump and we’ll get through it. So I wasn’t thinking, 'Oh, this is the last time I’m going to see Oz.' I just figured we’ll do the gig, and then who knows? You always stay positive on all this stuff." He added, "I wasn’t thinking when we were doing the show that this was the last time I’m going to be doing 'Mama, I’m Coming Home' with the boss or this is the last time I’m going to play 'Crazy Train' with him or anything like that. I was just going: 'Let’s do this and let’s have a good time,' like always."
Yet behind the scenes, Osbourne was grappling with serious health issues. In his posthumously released memoir, Last Rites (published October 7, 2025), the singer revealed he had a potentially "life-or-death" heart problem—an 80 percent blocked heart valve and arrhythmia, a consequence of sepsis following spinal surgery. "The valve is 80 percent blocked, apparently," Osbourne wrote. "The sepsis also gave me something called arrhythmia – when your heart can’t keep time, like a drummer in a bad pub band – so cheers for that." According to Metal Hammer, Osbourne’s cause of death was ultimately confirmed to be a heart attack.
Despite his health struggles, Osbourne was determined to complete his creative projects. In addition to the planned album with Wylde, he finished work on his autobiography and participated in two documentaries: Ozzy: No Escape From Now (Paramount+) and Sharon & Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home (BBC). In the latter, Osbourne reflected on his final performance: "What was terribly frustrating for me, I had to sit there instead of running across the stage. That was fucking torture, because I wanted to get off that [chair] so much." Yet he found meaning in the moment, adding, "It was very humbling, to sit in that chair for nine songs. What a great way to go out, that gig was."
The sense of closure Osbourne found in his final months was echoed by Wylde. "We did the show, he ended up finishing his book, they did the documentary, and then he was like, 'All right, I’m out of here.' He finished everything he had to do and then he was like, 'All right, I’m done.'" Their last backstage interaction was brief but heartfelt. Wylde recalled, "Everybody and their mother were in the backstage dressing room and I just wanted to give him a break. I figured we’d see him later on—the next day or whatever. But no. The last text I got from Oz was saying, 'Zakky, sorry, it was like a madhouse back there. I didn’t see you.' He goes, 'Thanks for everything.' It was just us talking, saying, 'I love you, buddy.' That was it."
Osbourne’s death reverberated through the rock and metal communities. Tens of thousands of fans lined the streets of Birmingham as his cortège passed over Black Sabbath Bridge on July 30, before a private burial at his Buckinghamshire home. Pantera, the band Wylde also plays with, rescheduled and canceled several concerts to allow him and others time to mourn.
Wylde, for his part, continues to honor Osbourne’s legacy through music. He fronts Black Label Society and leads Zakk Sabbath, a tribute band currently touring North America. Their next show is scheduled at the Bourbon Theatre in Lincoln, Nebraska, on November 11, 2025.
In the end, Osbourne’s final months were marked by a relentless drive to create, to connect, and to say goodbye on his own terms. The album he envisioned with Wylde—heavy, melodic, and rooted in the spirit of No More Tears—will remain one of rock’s great "what ifs." But for those who witnessed his last stand, and for the millions touched by his music, the Prince of Darkness leaves a legacy that feels both complete and unfinished, echoing on stages and in hearts around the world.
