Sharon Osbourne’s ‘Backup Plan’ for Ozzy’s Farewell Present

In his upcoming posthumous memoir Final Rites, Ozzy Osbourne particulars the myriad hurdles he needed to overcome to carry out at his Again to the Starting farewell present, his mounting concern main as much as the massive occasion — and Sharon Osbourne‘s backup plan in case he could not carry out.

The Prince of Darkness, who died on July 22 on the age of 76, was stricken by well being issues in his last years, which Final Rites will discover intimately. In an excerpt printed by The Occasions, Ozzy describes the comically painful scene within the airport as his household traveled to Birmingham for the live performance.

“The cherry on high was once they made me get out of my wheelchair and ‘stroll’ via the physique scanner,” he writes. “I nearly went via that factor arse over tit. Effectively… that is going easily, I assumed.”

READ MORE: 10 Easy Methods to Honor Ozzy Osbourne in Your Every day Life

Ozzy Was Anxious About Farewell Live performance: ‘The Present Saved Getting Greater’

Issues bought worse earlier than they bought higher for Ozzy after he landed in his house nation. “Three days after we lastly bought to England I used to be again in hospital,” he writes. “My blood stress stored me there for eight days, throughout which I had nothing to do however fear. As a result of the present stored getting greater.”

The magnitude of the occasion made Ozzy much more nervous. “As all these big names had been introduced — Weapons N’ Roses, Metallica, Steven Tyler from Aerosmith — I used to be like, holy f***, it’s gonna be like metallic’s reply to Dwell Assist,” he says. “Mendacity in mattress at evening I’d be like, I can’t go, I can’t do that. I stored saying to Sharon, we’d higher get a video made ’cos there’ll be an empty stage. She simply checked out me like I used to be mad. She is aware of me higher than I do. She knew I used to be simply scared.”

Sharon Osbourne’s ‘Backup Plan’: ‘Get Up There and Be Ozzy’

Lastly, Sharon advised Ozzy he was getting on the stage whether or not he sang or not. “Ultimately Sharon mentioned, ‘Look, there’ll be no backup plan. No video. No prerecorded something. When you can’t sing on the evening, simply speak to the gang and thank them. All you might want to do is rise up there and be Ozzy.”

Those that watched the Again to the Starting live performance know that Ozzy’s solo efficiency and Black Sabbath reunion had been each hovering successes.

READ MORE: Black Sabbath Go Out With a Bang — See the Remaining Track + Full Setlist

“However as quickly because the curtain went up I forgot about my nerves. All of the sudden I used to be searching over 42,000 faces, with one other 5.8 million watching on-line,” he writes. “That was when the emotion actually hit me. I’d by no means actually taken it on board that so many individuals preferred me — and even knew who I used to be. It was overwhelming, man, it actually was.”