Zakk Wylde on Ozzy Osbourne’s Passing: “He Pushed Himself to Hold On Just Long Enough to Deliver That Final Show”

Zakk Wylde’s words in his August interview have forever reframed how fans see Back to the Beginning, Ozzy Osbourne’s final performance. Speaking to Waste Some Time With Jason Green, Zakk recalled the shock of losing someone who had always seemed indestructible. “It was so crazy,” he said. “When we went back home after the Back to the Beginning concert, Barb called me on the road with Pantera to tell me Ozz had passed away.”

For decades, Ozzy had survived everything—accidents, health crises, and the punishing lifestyle of rock and roll. To Zakk, he was like Evel Knievel: he’d crash, get patched up, and be back for another jump. “You never think, ‘This is the end,’” he said. “It was always, ‘Ozz will be fine. We’ll do another record once he’s better.’” But this time was different. “He willed himself to hang in there long enough to knock that final show out,” Zakk reflected. “If the concert had been scheduled for August, he wouldn’t have made it. That’s what’s crazy.”

That July 5 performance at Villa Park in Birmingham wasn’t just a homecoming—it was the closing chapter of one of rock’s most legendary careers. Titled Back to the Beginning, the concert was a living timeline, moving from Sabbath’s pioneering heaviness to the soaring anthems of Ozzy’s solo era. The setlist was crafted with care, a mix of power and vulnerability that told the story of a life lived entirely in music.

Onstage, Ozzy looked determined. Though visibly weakened by illness, his voice still carried that unmistakable grit. Zakk stayed close, his guitar work both a shield and a companion, anchoring Ozzy through the night. “My priority was making sure Ozz was okay,” he told Guitar World. The bond between them was decades deep—Zakk had joined Ozzy’s band in 1987 after sending in a demo tape, and in the years since, they had become more like brothers than bandmates.

The high points of the set felt almost cinematic. “Crazy Train” erupted with an energy that seemed to pull Ozzy into the moment, the crowd’s roar pushing him forward. “Mama, I’m Coming Home” became something far more than a ballad—it was a farewell. Zakk’s guitar wept through the solo, matching the emotion in Ozzy’s delivery. Between songs, Ozzy addressed the audience with gratitude and humor, as if determined to leave them smiling through the sadness.

Zakk revealed that after the show, he didn’t immediately seek Ozzy out. “Everybody and their mother were in the dressing room. I just wanted to give him a break. I figured we’d see each other later,” he said. But later never came. The last message Ozzy sent him read: “Zakky, sorry, it was like a madhouse back there. I didn’t see you. Thanks for everything. I love you, buddy.” Those words would be their final exchange.

Less than three weeks later, on July 22, Ozzy Osbourne died of a heart attack. His death certificate cited coronary artery disease and Parkinson’s disease. For fans and friends alike, it felt surreal—how could the Prince of Darkness, the man who had willed himself through every obstacle, really be gone?

The private funeral on July 31 in Buckinghamshire was attended by just 110 close friends and family, including his Sabbath bandmates, Robert Trujillo, Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson, Corey Taylor, and of course, Zakk Wylde. The day before, thousands lined the streets of Birmingham to honor their hometown hero, with Sharon, Aimée, Kelly, and Jack joining the emotional tribute.

In hindsight, Back to the Beginning was exactly that—a return to the start, closing the loop on a career that changed music forever. Zakk’s revelation about Ozzy’s determination gives that night an almost mythical quality. It wasn’t just a concert; it was an act of sheer willpower, a man holding on just long enough to give his fans one last gift.

For those in the crowd, the air crackled with unspoken understanding. Every song felt like a message, every look a goodbye. Even in his final moments onstage, Ozzy embodied the spirit that made him a legend: defiant, passionate, and connected to his fans in a way that went beyond music.

Now, when people watch the footage from Back to the Beginning, they see more than a setlist—they see a man giving everything he had left. And they hear Zakk Wylde’s voice in the back of their mind: “He willed himself to hang in there long enough to knock that final show out.”

It’s a sentence that will follow the memory of that night forever, reminding us that sometimes the greatest performance isn’t about perfection—it’s about the courage to show up when it matters most. And on that stage in Birmingham, Ozzy Osbourne did exactly that.