Geezer Butler says he was not prepared to see how frail Ozzy was

The Black Sabbath co-founder, bassist and main lyricist Geezer Butler was part of the final show of the band, which ended up really being Ozzy Osbourne‘s final performance and public appearance, since the musician passed away only a few weeks after at the age of 76. In an interview with The Sunday Times, Butler recalled how the rehearsal for the concert was and said he wasn’t prepared to see how frail Ozzy was at the time.

Geezer Butler says he was not prepared to see how frail Ozzy was

“I didn’t realize then that I would never see Ozzy again after that night. The rehearsals for that final show started a month before at a studio in the Oxfordshire countryside. Tony Iommi, Bill Ward and I ran through seven songs together. Of course, not having played together for 20 years, it took a couple of days to get rid of the rust.”

“Then it was time for Ozzy to join us. I knew he wasn’t in good health, but I wasn’t prepared to see how frail he was. He was helped into the rehearsal room by two helpers and a nurse and was using a cane — being Ozzy, the cane was black and studded with gold and precious stones. He didn’t really say much beyond the usual greetings and when he sang, he sat in a chair.”

“We ran through the songs but we could see it was exhausting him after six or seven songs. We had a bit of a chat, but he was really quiet compared with the Ozzy of old. After a couple more weeks we were ready for the show.”

He continued:

“(…) Nobody knew he’d be gone from us little more than two weeks after the final show. But I am so grateful we got to play one last time together in front of his beloved fans. The love from the fans and all the bands, musicians, singers and solo artists that night was incredible. Everyone had come to pay homage to the Prince.”

“I am so privileged to have spent most of my life with him. Of course there are millions of things I will think of that I should have written, but how can I sum up 57 incredible years of friendship in a few paragraphs? God bless, Oz, it has been one hell of a ride! Love you!” Geezer Butler said.

Ozzy Osbourne had been facing many health issues in recent years, including Parkinson’s disease. The final show, “Back to the Beginning” happened only a few weeks ago, July 5, at the Villa Park in Birmingham, the band’s hometown. It became the highest-grossing charity concert ever.