Tony Iommi has revealed the details of his final conversation with Ozzy Osbourne, which took place the night before the Black Sabbath frontman died. The guitarist shared the memory during a recent appearance on the Loudwire Nights podcast, reflecting on the loss of his longtime bandmate and friend.
Iommi said he spoke with Osbourne just hours before the singer passed away in July 2025 at the age of 76. «I spoke to him the night before he passed,» Iommi recalled. «He said to me, 'I really feel tired and really worn out.' I said, 'Well, you're bound to really, it's been a lot of stress and pressure and stuff like that.' And the next thing, the next day, [he's] gone.»
The conversation came just over two weeks after Black Sabbath performed together for the final time at the «Back To The Beginning» event at Birmingham's Villa Park. That historic concert marked the last-ever shows for both the band and Osbourne, who was visibly frail during the performance and sat on a throne for much of the set.
Iommi admitted that seeing Osbourne in that state was difficult. «It was difficult because seeing Ozzy sitting in a throne is not the way I see him,» he explained. «Always [when] we've been on stage, he's been running around, and he'd run up to Geezer [Butler] and pull a face jokingly and come over to me and pull a face or the drummer or whatever. We always had a little laugh on stage and enjoy when he'd run about.»
The guitarist said that at the farewell show, he stood back by drummer Bill Ward and could not see Osbourne, which felt deeply unusual. Despite the emotional weight of the occasion, Iommi expressed gratitude that the band had the opportunity to perform together one last time. «It was a great moment, and I'm really glad we could get the opportunity to do it, because I mean, God, we didn't know he was going to go that quick,» he said. «But he did… There's memories that will remain there, from rehearsals to the whole thing… I am glad that we could do that gig.»
Iommi also opened up about how he still struggles to accept that Osbourne is gone. «It still feels like he's there,» he said, describing the ongoing sense of loss he carries.
The guitarist was speaking on the podcast in support of his first solo album in over 20 years, «From The Dark,» which is set for release next month. The record follows his 2005 album «Fused.»
In the immediate aftermath of Osbourne's death last summer, Iommi paid tribute to his friend in a heartfelt statement. «I just can't believe it! My dear dear friend Ozzy has passed away only weeks after our show at Villa Park,» he wrote. «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. My thoughts go out to Sharon and all the Osbourne family. Rest in peace Oz.»
Osbourne's death certificate listed his cause of death as a heart attack, with coronary heart disease and Parkinson's cited as contributing factors. His occupation was recorded as «Songwriter, Performer and Rock Legend.»
This summer, on the first anniversary of his death, Birmingham held its first official «Ozzy Day» in his honor. His son Jack urged fans to share memories of his father, saying he wanted to «fill the entire day of July 22 with just awesome Ozzy stories.» His daughter Kelly also spoke publicly about her grief, saying she does not «just mourn the father I lost. I mourn the soul I was before [his] death.»
Jack has also confirmed that a biopic about his parents Ozzy and Sharon is in development, with a planned 2028 release. Meanwhile, Sharon has addressed plans for an AI-powered avatar of her late husband, insisting it is not about cashing in on his legacy. Universal Studios is also launching two Ozzy-inspired haunted houses, which the company said will help «grow his licensing program around the world.»