Ozzy Osbourne is a legend. He has sold over 100 million albums, both as the lead singer of Black Sabbath and as a solo artist. He is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for both. He is also a bestselling author for his biography, “I Am Ozzy.”
Osbourne recently played his final show (billed as “Back to the Beginning“) alongside the original lineup of Black Sabbath at Villa Park in the U.K. on July 5. Performing seated on a black throne, Sabbath and Osbourne each played a short set. The event was watched by nearly six million people on live stream, and 40,000 live at Villa Park.
People say to me, if you could do it all again, knowing what you know now, would you change anything? I’m like, f*** no. If I’d been clean and sober, I wouldn’t be Ozzy. If I’d done normal, sensible things, I wouldn’t be Ozzy.
Look, if it ends tomorrow, I can’t complain. I’ve been all around the world. Seen a lot of things. I’ve done good… and I’ve done bad. But right now, I’m not ready to go anywhere.
Let’s roll back a few years.
In 2017, Ozzy Osbourne was on a successful farewell tour with Sabbath, playing to large and adoring crowds globally, when disaster struck. Within weeks, he went from having a finger infection to having to abandon touring altogether as he faced near-total paralysis from the neck down.
“Last Rites” is the never-before-told story of Osbourne’s descent. Sometimes surprising, often hilarious, he reflects on his life, his marriage to his wife Sharon, and his encounters with other notorious peers such as Bon Scott, John Bonham, Keith Moon, Slash, and Lemmy Kilmister. In addition, he reflects on the aforementioned “Back to the Beginning” concert, which raised millions for charity.
Direct and unflinching, but ultimately also uplifting, the book documents Ozzy’s journey from “The Prince of Darkness” to a musical hero and national legend.