Ozzy Osbourne's farewell journey: 2 final shows in hometown Birmingham + an Osbourne Museum

Ozzy Osbourne is planning to stage his farewell performances in his hometown, as shared by his wife, Sharon Osbourne. Mr. Osbourne has been quoted as saying: "I just want to be well enough to do one show where I can say, 'Hi guys, thanks so much for my life.'" It now appears there will be 2 shows.
Sharon, the manager of the iconic Black Sabbath frontman, expressed that Ozzy has a desire to bid a proper farewell through two final shows in his hometown of Birmingham, England, aiming to create a meaningful goodbye experience.

The Mirror reported the sentiments conveyed by Mrs. Osbourne during a promotional campaign for a live show depicting her own life. The 75-year-old Osbourne, who disclosed his battle with Parkinson's disease in 2020 and retired from touring last year, continues to maintain a strong emotional tie to Birmingham, where he was born. She quoted her husband as saying "I have never said goodbye to my fans and I want to say goodbye properly." Mrs. Osbourne, in a separate conversation with BBC Midlands Today, highlighted her husband's deep connection to the city, emphasizing his ongoing dreams of Birmingham even though they currently reside in the U.S.

The use of the words "say goodbye properly" has an obvious note of finality, which may distress hardcore fans of the singer. At the same time, it shows his fighting spirit to do final shows that pay respect to his original home, and he would do more shows if he felt he could. Notably, Ozzy had a memorable performance at the closing ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham. There he played Black Sabbath’s classic hit "Paranoid" with guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Tommy Clufetos, and bassist Adam Wakeman.

The future of Ozzy (and Sharon) Osbourne

Despite their current residence in the U.S., the couple plans to relocate back to the UK this year. Mrs. Osbourne, who gained media prominence through the reality TV show The Osbournes portraying their family life, expressed her lack of singing or dancing abilities but emphasized her capacity to entertain through life experiences. (including a hugely successful autobiography). The Osbournes also helped establish that, despite Ozzy being able to enunciate better than many singers during performances, he is often difficult to understand when speaking.

However, Sharon is not just Ozzy's husband and a celebrity. She also deserves credit for believing in the man during the low times in his career, as she represented Ozzy after her father fired him from Black Sabbath (though there are conflicting accounts regarding her level of involvement in Ozzy's Blizzard of Oz album, which helped him break through as a solo act).

Now, in addition to their plans for returning to the UK, Mrs. Osbourne revealed aspirations to establish an Osbourne museum and music school in Birmingham. The envisioned space would showcase Ozzy's achievements and memorabilia from his illustrious, sometimes tumultuous and riotous past. As she envisions it, visitors would have the opportunity to explore the rich legacy of the music legend in a dedicated museum and educational institution.