Black Sabbath finishing their last show in Birmingham is perfect. My origin story started in the Midlands as well. Just a 20 minute drive up the road in Wolverhampton. Go Wolves!
I knew of Ozzy Osbourne’s declining health and I had mixed feelings about seeing him take the stage in what would be most likely, a wheelchair. It’s not how I want to remember him and remember fondly the last time I saw Black Sabbath with all four original members. Ozzy Osbourne, Bill Ward, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler where at their peak during the Last Supper tour. I caught them in Toronto in 1999.
Interesting side note. In 1999, I was working as a broadcast engineer in a radio station. Sadly, a country station. Not even close to my genre. I’m a metal head. Country music stars like Garth Brooks, Shania Twain and the Dixie Chicks would often come in to promote their new albums. The running joke around the station was that I would only get excited if Ozzy Osbourne showed up.
One morning I arrived at work to see an envelope on my desk. It was 2nd row center floor tickets for the Black Sabbath Last Supper Tour (photo below). This was still the last tour with all four original members. It seems the radio station program director called in a favor with Black Sabbath’s record label at the time to get me these tickets. I still love him for this.
Here’s the video from that show. Pantera with Dimebag Darrel , who was still alive at the time. Interesting to note, that Pantera was so loud that they took out my left ear. Luckily, it came back midway though Sabbath’s War Pigs opener. If you look closely you might see a long red-haired me wearing a Sabbath t-shirt.
Only fitting that Sabbath ended their final performance with Paranoid. Thanks for forever remaining my favorite band of all time. Permanently remaining on my playlist since I was nine years old. As much as I was sadden to see Ozzy in a chair for the show. His health issues prevented him from his usual prancing and hoping around the stage. I respected and admired that this is how he chose to say goodbye to his many fans, on his own terms.
Adue, Prince of Darkness.
