Ozzy Osbourne health update: Black Sabbath frontman 'may be sitting down' during huge Villa Park reunion gig

The 76-year-old is set to take to the stage at Villa Park on July 5, performing a short solo set before being joined by Black Sabbath members Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward. It will mark the first time in 20 years that the full group has played together.

Ahead of the highly-anticipated Back To The Beginning gig, Ozzy revealed that he will be trying his best to perform despite his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis in 2020 and other health issues. He also underwent extensive spinal surgery in 2023 after a fall at home four years earlier, which aggravated injuries from a near-fatal quad bike crash in 2003.

He told The Guardian: “I’ll be there, and I’ll do the best I can. So all I can do is turn up.”

Ozzy said the sold-out final farewell gig was conceived by wife Sharon Osbourne as “something to give me a reason to get up in the morning”. Describing his recent health issues, he said: “You wake up the next morning and find that something else has gone wrong. You begin to think this is never going to end.”

The metal singer added: “I do weights, bike riding, I’ve got a guy living at my house who’s working with me. It’s tough – I’ve been laid up for such a long time. I’ve been lying on my back doing nothing and the first thing to go is your strength. It’s like starting all over again.

“I’ve got a vocal coach coming round four days a week to keep my voice going. I have problems walking. I also get blood pressure issues, from blood clots on my legs.

“I’m used to doing two hours on stage, jumping and running around. I don’t think I’ll be doing much jumping or running around this time. I may be sitting down.”

While Black Sabbath is the main attraction of the concert, The Back To The Beginning gig will also act as a day festival featuring short sets from a “supergroup” legends of the metal genre including Metallica, Slayer and Alice In Chains. All profits from the show will be shared equally between a handful of charities, including Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Acorn Children’s Hospice.

Ex-Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar, who is also performing, told Loudwire Nights that he has been told that Osbourne is “going to try and sing five song”, including No More Tears.

Ozzy added: “We’re only playing a couple of songs each. I don’t want people thinking ‘we’re getting ripped off’, because it’s just going to be … what’s the word? … a sample, you’re going to get a few songs each by Ozzy and Sabbath.”