Just days after the world mourned the passing of rock legend Ozzy Osbourne, his family shared the quiet, deeply human final wish he held in his last months—a wish far removed from fame, tour schedules, or enduring legacy. It was about home.
Born in Aston, Birmingham in December 1948, Ozzy longed to return to the city where it all began—to perform one final time in the place that had shaped him. That wish wasn’t about grandeur; it was about closure, connection, and roots. ([9Honey Celebrity][1], [The Economic Times][2])
**Sharon Osbourne orchestrated his heartfelt wish.**
Ozzy had endured decades away from England while living in the United States. As his health deteriorated—he battled Parkinson’s disease, spinal injuries, and the loss of his ability to walk—he frequently spoke of wanting to move back to the UK and perform one final hometown show. His wife and longtime manager, Sharon Osbourne, recognized this was central to his well-being in his final chapter. ([9Honey Celebrity][1])
On **July 5, 2025**, Sharon arranged the “Back to the Beginning” benefit concert at Villa Park in Birmingham—right near where Ozzy grew up. Despite his frailty, he took the stage seated on a custom throne, surrounded by Black Sabbath’s original lineup for the first time in two decades. The event raised nearly \$190 million for causes important to him, including Parkinson’s research, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and a hospice charity. ([The HyperHive][3])
Rather than isolating him for comfort, Sharon prioritized granting Ozzy one final moment in music, roots, and love. She even timed the family’s move back to Buckinghamshire so that Ozzy could end his life surrounded by loved ones in his home country. ([LADbible][4])
**In those final days, his wish came true.**
Ozzy reportedly told his sister in a final text: “I can’t wait to come back” to Birmingham, revealing his bittersweet longing. His sister recalled seeing him overwhelmed by the crowd’s reception at Villa Park. His heartfelt message underscored just how meaningful returning home had been. ([LADbible][5])
Following the concert, Ozzy’s spirit appeared renewed. Friends noted he spent his final days with renewed energy, uplifted by that farewell performance and the knowledge it fulfilled his deepest desire. ([Page Six][6])
**What he sacrificed for that final dream.**
By granting that wish, Ozzy gave up one of the last simple comforts available to someone in his condition: physical rest. He pushed himself to rehearse, travel, and perform, at a time when his body was failing him. But music was identity—without it, life would lose its meaning. For Ozzy, that sacrifice was small when weighed against the chance to return home and say goodbye in form and place.
**Why it mattered so deeply.**
Ozzy had survived more than just decades in the music industry—he’d survived addiction, multiple serious injuries, emphysema, and Parkinson’s disease. He once said in his final *People* interview that “Survival is my legacy” and that he refused to “throw the towel in.” Even at 73 he felt energized by fans who still wanted to hear him perform. ([The Archivist][7], [Yahoo Lifestyle][8])
Performing one last time in the place he came from, on his own terms, was a last act of defiance—and humanity. It wasn’t about chart success or records sold, but about identity, family, and dignity.
**He passed away peacefully on July 22, 2025**, seventeen days after that farewell show, at age 76, surrounded by family in his adopted home of Buckinghamshire. ([Wikipedia][9], [Page Six][10], [The Times][11])
**In retrospect, that final wish reshaped his legacy.**
His last performance was not merely a concert—it was a moment of return, catharsis, and love. Sharon’s devotion made it happen; Ozzy embraced it. It crystallized his journey—from bombsites of Birmingham to global stages—into a deeply human closure. He didn’t go out with bombast or spectacle but with a wish quietly granted: to come home.
—
* [Page Six](https://pagesix.com/2025/07/25/entertainment/ozzy-osbourne-spent-his-last-days-re-energized-by-final-concert/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
* [People.com](https://people.com/ozzy-osbourne-revealed-how-he-wanted-remembered-final-people-interview-11777121?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
* [The Sun](https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/35969909/ozzy-osbourne-family-uk-doc/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
[1]: https://celebrity.nine.com.au/latest/ozzy-osbourne-death-sharon-osbourne-grants-dying-wish/668b9296-f3bf-4e52-b679-6893cfe6c546?utm_source=chatgpt.com “Ozzy Osbourne death: Sharon Osbourne grants dying wish – 9Celebrity”
[2]: https://m.economictimes.com/magazines/panache/ozzy-osbournes-final-wish-resurfaces-what-the-rock-legend-hoped-to-be-remembered-for-before-his-death-at-76/amp_articleshow/122861713.cms?utm_source=chatgpt.com “Ozzy Osbourne’s final wish resurfaces: What the rock legend hoped to be remembered for before his death at 76 – The Economic Times”
[3]: https://thehyperhive.com/sharon-osbourne-fulfills-ozzy-osbournes-final-wish/?utm_source=chatgpt.com “Sharon Osbourne Fulfills Ozzy Osbourne’s Final Wish – The HyperHive”
[4]: https://www.ladbible.com/entertainment/music/ozzy-osbourne-death-sharon-final-wish-black-sabbath-560431-20250723?utm_source=chatgpt.com “Sharon Osbourne granted Ozzy his ‘final wish’ before death aged 76”
[5]: https://www.ladbible.com/entertainment/music/ozzy-osbourne-death-sisters-reveal-final-texts-025836-20250723?utm_source=chatgpt.com “Final text Ozzy Osbourne sent to his sister before death aged 76”
[6]: https://pagesix.com/2025/07/25/entertainment/ozzy-osbourne-spent-his-last-days-re-energized-by-final-concert/?utm_source=chatgpt.com “Ozzy Osbourne spent his last days ‘re-energized’ by final concert”
[7]: https://thearchivist24.com/2025/07/23/sharon-osbourne-grants-ozzys-final-wish-just-weeks-before-his-death-her-emotional-tribute-says-it-all/?utm_source=chatgpt.com “Sharon Osbourne Grants Ozzy’s Final Wish Just Weeks Before His Death — Her Emotional Tribute Says It All – The Archivist”
[8]: https://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/ozzy-osbourne-revealed-wanted-remembered-202813533.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com “Ozzy Osbourne Revealed How He Wanted to Be Remembered in His Final “People” Interview: ‘Survival Is My Legacy’ (Exclusive)”
[11]: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/ozzy-osbourne-dies-dead-76-dk5m5gwzx?utm_source=chatgpt.com “Ozzy Osbourne, hard rock pioneer, dies aged 76”