Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi is the first member of the band to publicly speak about the death of his bandmate, singer Ozzy Osbourne.
Posting a statement to his Instagram account, the guitarist remarked, “I just can’t believe it! My dear dear friend Ozzy has passed away only weeks after our show at Villa Park.”
He added, “It’s just such heartbreaking news that I can’t really find the words, there won’t ever be another like him. Geezer, Bill and myself have lost our brother.”
The guitarist concluded with a message to Ozzy’s immediate family, sharing, “My thoughts go out to Sharon and all the Osbourne family. Rest in peace Oz. Tony.”
The post was also filled with a number of condolences from those in the rock and metal community toward Iommi. Andreas Kisser, Ihsahn, Rob Caggiano, Alissa White-Gluz and more left messages or emojis in the comments.
Tony Iommi and Back to the Beginning
It was just July 5 when Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward last played together triumphantly in their hometown of Birmingham, England.
The Back to the Beginning concert was meant as the farewell that they never got to have when they previously wound down their touring career while Ward was absent over a contract dispute.
Ozzy started warming to the idea of doing one final performance in 2024, speaking out on the importance of having Ward with the group one last time.
In an interview leading up to the big show, Iommi admitted to The Guardian he initially had concerns about getting back together for another date.
“I’m the one that said, ‘I don’t know if we should do it,’ because we did a farewell tour and I didn’t want to get into that thing like all the other bands are doing, saying it’s the last tour and then reappearing again,” the guitarist explained.
However, proceeds from the concert were eventually targeted toward helping the charity organizationsBirmingham’s Children’s Hospital, Acorn Children’s Hospice and Cure Parkinson’s, so Iommi realized it was for a good cause.
“But I’ve been convinced, because we’re doing it for a reason… No one’s getting paid or anything,” he said.
READ MORE: What Two Songs Were Cut From Black Sabbath’s Farewell Performance
The band’s final performance included Ozzy and his Sabbath bandmates performing a four-song set that included “War Pigs,” “N.I.B.,” “Iron Man” and “Paranoid.”
In addition to Iommi’s comments, a much larger collection of reactions and tributes to Ozzy Osbourne is also continually being added to.
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Gallery Credit: Chad Childers, Loudwire