Tony Iommi, Sharon Osbourne, Bill Ward and Jack Osbourne reflect on the Prince of Darkness one year after his passing
One year ago today, on July 22, 2025, the world lost Ozzy Osbourne. The Prince of Darkness, born John Michael Osbourne in Aston, Birmingham, passed away from a heart attack, with his death certificate also citing coronary artery disease and Parkinson’s disease. He was 76 years old. Today, his hometown of Birmingham has declared the first annual “Ozzy Day,” and the tributes from those who knew and loved him best have been pouring in.
‘Black Sabbath‘ guitarist Tony Iommi took to social media to share a deeply personal message: “Hi everyone. Well, it’s now a year since Ozzy’s passing and I still can’t believe that he’s not with us. I watch him on YouTube and it feels like he’s still here with us. We always stayed in touch, almost every week or so and we’d usually talk about our ailments and then about what we’d been doing that particular week. The fans have been absolutely brilliant and the love and respect that they have shown for him has just been amazing. I’m so glad that we were able to play one final show with the original line up of Sabbath at the ‘Back To The Beginning’ show in our home town of Birmingham. There will never be another Ozzy. I miss you my dear friend.”
Sharon Osbourne spoke to the BBC on the anniversary of her husband’s passing, asking fans to remember him in the way he would have wanted. “As Ozzy would say, ‘When you want to remember me, just yank up the music really loud, as loud as you can get it, and just headbang,'” she told the broadcaster. Reflecting on the man she knew better than anyone, Sharon added: “He was authentic. He never tried to be anything other than what he was, and he would tell you the truth about everything and that was him, you knew where you were with him. He was just genuine, so genuine and funny. I mean, we could have the worst arguments in the world but we would end up laughing because he would say something so ridiculous that we would just crack up.”
‘Black Sabbath’ drummer Bill Ward delivered one of the most emotional tributes of the past weeks during his July appearance on LA Radio Sessions with Mike Stark. Speaking with barely contained emotion, Ward said: “Ozzy forever. That’s what I wanted to say today. Dearly missed. We’re in the month now, the anniversary, of his passing, and I wanna say his music was just brilliant. Whatever he’s participated in musically, it’s all been brilliant. His voice is eerie. It’s scary. It’s passionate. It can cross all boundaries. It’s timeless.”
Ward continued: “He was one of my best friends. He was like a brother, and he was one of my best friends. If we’d had done this show a few months ago, I’d have been crying my eyeballs out. I think I’m at a place now where I’ll cry after the show, but I’m doing my best to get through the show and not cry so that I can say good things about him. I never wanna let him down, ever. And I love him all the time. I love him every single day. I miss him every single day, and I loved him every day when he was alive, and I love him every day now.”
Jack Osbourne, who played a central role in organizing the “Back To The Beginning” concert and documentary, shared what he wants from fans on this day. In an Instagram post, Jack explained: “This month has been really just ups and downs for me, a mixed bag of emotions. Here’s what I want. I would like anyone who’s listening to this, anyone who is compelled, anyone who just wants to share a story about my dad to share a story. Whether it’s the first time you listened to his music, the first time you saw him play live, or a time you saw him play live where something stood out to you. Or you had an actual encounter with him. Or whether you just want to talk about what his music meant to you. That’s what I want. I want to fill the entire day of July 22 with just awesome Ozzy stories.” “So yeah, that’s my ask. Please, get thinking, get posting, spread the love. That’s what my dad would want. He would not want us to all be sat around shedding tears because that’s not his vibe. He did not like people crying in front of him. So yeah, spread the love that way and if you use the hashtag #OzzyDay, I’ll see it and I’ll be looking out for it. So here’s to Ozzy Day.”
Birmingham’s “Ozzy Day” celebrations are taking place across the city centre today, with a free program of live music, public art, special performances and shared moments celebrating the life, legacy and Birmingham roots of the Prince of Darkness. Attendees can visit places important to Osbourne’s journey, including the ‘Black Sabbath’ Bench and Bridge, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Birmingham New Street Station, Bullring, Selfridges and Martineau Place. Bostin Brass, the five-piece brass band that performed at Osbourne’s funeral procession, will deliver a series of pop-up performances in his honor, while the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra will perform at Bullring. A limited-edition shirt featuring an image of Osbourne at “Back To The Beginning,” with the back listing all 52 shows that the singer played in Birmingham throughout his career, will be sold exclusively during today’s celebrations.
“This is the home of metal,” Sharon told the BBC. “It’s Ozzy’s home, it’s where he was born, what he loved and this wouldn’t work anywhere else. He loved this city, he loved its people. He was proud of being a Brummie and that’s it.”
Ozzy passed away just 17 days after his final performance at “Back To The Beginning” on July 5, 2025, where he reunited with the original ‘Black Sabbath’ lineup of Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward at Villa Park in Birmingham. He performed a five-song solo set seated on a black throne before being joined by his bandmates for “War Pigs,” “Iron Man,” “N.I.B.” and “Paranoid.” A private funeral service was held on July 31, 2025 at the Buckinghamshire estate he and Sharon had shared since 1993, attended by 110 friends and family members including his ‘Sabbath’ bandmates, Robert Trujillo, Rob Zombie, Zakk Wylde, Marilyn Manson, and Corey Taylor.
One year on, the tributes pouring in from Birmingham and from around the world make one thing abundantly clear. There will never be another Ozzy Osbourne. And the world knows it.
