BREAKING: Black Sabbath Founder Tony Iommi C…read more.
As the music world comes to terms with the loss of one of rock’s most iconic voices, Tony Iommi guitarist and co-founder of Black Sabbath has shared a deeply moving account of his final conversation with Ozzy Osbourne. In a time of mourning, Iommi’s words offer a personal and heartfelt glimpse into a friendship that spanned more than half a century.
Ozzy Osbourne passed away earlier this week at the age of 76. For millions, he was the unforgettable frontman of Black Sabbath and the larger-than-life Prince of Darkness. But for Tony Iommi, he was simply “Oz” a brother, a friend, and a soul forever linked to his own.
“We spoke just a few days before he passed,” Iommi shared in an interview with Kerrang!. “He sounded different soft, calm, like he had made peace with everything. He said to me, ‘We’ll always be brothers, Tony. No matter what.’ That was the last thing he said. I didn’t want to believe it, but in my heart, I knew he was saying goodbye.”
The two met as teenagers in the tough, working-class neighborhoods of Birmingham in the late 1960s. They formed Black Sabbath together, unknowingly changing the course of rock history forever. Along with bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward, the band’s raw, dark sound became the blueprint for heavy metal.
Their partnership, however, wasn’t always easy. Ozzy was fired from the band in 1979 amid mounting drug and alcohol problems, and the two spent years apart both professionally and personally. But despite their rocky past, Iommi said their bond never truly disappeared.
“We had our differences. There were times we didn’t speak. But it never changed how we felt deep down,” he said. “We went through something together that very few people in the world could ever understand. That connection it was always there.”
That connection was rekindled in the years that followed. The pair reunited for the 13 album in 2013 and later embarked on a final world tour that brought them back full circle. But their most poignant moment came just weeks ago, when Black Sabbath reunited for one final show. The concert, featuring all four original members, would ultimately be Ozzy’s last.
“He was in rough shape leading up to the show,” Iommi admitted. “But he told me, ‘If I’m going to go out, I’m going out with a mic in my hand, not in a hospital bed.’ That was classic Ozzy. Brave, stubborn, and completely devoted to the fans.”
The night of the concert was electric, emotional, and in hindsight quietly devastating.
“Backstage, he gave each of us a long hug. When he got to me, he looked me in the eye and said, ‘We did it, didn’t we? No regrets, brother.’ It was so real, so final. I didn’t know it would be the last time, but I could feel it in my chest.”
Since the news of Ozzy’s passing broke, tributes have poured in from artists and fans around the world. Metallica’s James Hetfield called him “the voice that made metal possible.” Corey Taylor of Slipknot said, “Without Ozzy, none of us would be here.” Even pop and hip-hop stars have paid respects, acknowledging the cultural impact Ozzy had beyond genre.
In Birmingham, a growing shrine has formed outside the venue where the final Sabbath concert took place. Fans have left flowers, candles, posters, and handwritten letters thanking Ozzy for decades of music, madness, and magic. One note simply reads: “You gave us your soul, and we’ll carry it forever.”
Iommi hasn’t yet visited the memorial in person but says he’s seen the images online and they’ve brought tears to his eyes.
“It’s overwhelming,” he said. “But beautiful. Ozzy would have been deeply touched. He loved his fans. That’s who he was doing it all for, even at the end.”
Ozzy’s funeral will be a private family affair, but a large public tribute is being planned in his hometown, where the legend began. Iommi said he’ll be there not just as a fellow musician, but as someone who walked beside him for most of their lives.
“I miss him terribly,” he said softly. “But I take comfort in knowing we made peace, and we ended on love. His final words to me ‘We’ll always be brothers’ that’s how I’ll carry him with me. Always.”
With a quiet smile and glassy eyes, Tony Iommi finished the interview with one final thought:
“There’ll never be another Ozzy. And there’ll never be another friendship like the one we had. Rest easy, my brother. You’ll never be forgotten.”
