Ozzy has been trying to say goodbye for some time, Far Out reported. In 2019, he fell ill twice with pneumonia during what his wife and manager Sharon Osbourne insisted would be his farewell tour. He then contracted an infection. He had to have "something put in his arm vein to give him intravenous injections." Six years later, it is still attached to his body.

The European dates were postponed. To make matters worse for the musician, in February 2019, he tried to get to his bed at night but slipped and fell on the floor in the dark, hitting his neck. He already had damage to his cervical vertebrae from a quad bike accident in 2003, so urgent and radical measures were needed. Two metal plates were inserted on either side of his spine, but the screws loosened, leading to bone fragments and lesions.

Sharon recounts this with discomfort: "Five operations later, his body was ruined. It was agonizing for him: Parkinson's and spinal injuries. It was just awful." Although the musician continued to work and release albums, he was depressed. According to The Guardian, at his lowest point, he felt so bad that he prayed to die in his sleep.

Sharon's idea was to organize a final farewell show for charity in his hometown of Birmingham. The list of participants is growing daily, but so far the following have been confirmed: Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Slayer, Pantera, Alice in Chains, Anthrax, Mastodon, Tool; members of Judas Priest, Limp Bizkit, Smashing Pumpkins, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Megadeth, Van Halen, Ghost, and Faith No More.

The musical director of the event is Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello. He says that "there are some pretty big surprises that haven't been announced anywhere."

What will follow after the concert, when the last confetti has been swept away and the last light has gone out? A life filled with simple pleasures, Ozzy confirms. "I'd like to say 'never say never,' but after the last six years... it's time."

He recounted the chaos he has gone through over the past half-century: "I've been on the road for 50 years and somehow got used to not picking up my luggage and getting back on the bus. I don't smoke marijuana anymore and I don't live the rock star life. I've become something of a homebody. I never go out. I never go to bars—I don't drink. And what the hell is out there waiting for me? I hate going shopping with my wife. After half an hour, I want to stab myself in the neck," he muses humorously.

All this to say that it's time to close this chapter once and for all. "It's time to spend some time with my grandchildren, I don't want to die in some hotel room. I want to spend the rest of my life with my family."

Despite the ongoing buzz around the show, former Van Halen vocalist Sammy Hagar has confirmed that Ozzy Osbourne will only sing five solo songs. Whatever he can give on the day of the concert, the legendary musician aims to go out with a bang. |BGNES