Ozzy Osbourne is rock’s undisputed king of farewell tours.
Over the last three decades the singer has launched four separate goodbyes, either as a solo artist or as a member of Black Sabbath. The last of those was cut unexpectedly short for health reasons, so he and his original Sabbath bandmates are planning a new star-studded farewell for this weekend.
To prepare for that, here’s a quick look back at Osbourne’s four previous retirements:
1992: Ozzy Osbourne, ‘No More Tours’ Tour
Although he was just 43 years old, Ozzy Osbourne announced his first retirement way back in 1992. Mistakenly diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and having spent the last 25 years of his life as a touring musician, he understandably wanted to spend more time with his family.
Although he was flying higher than ever commercially thanks to the success of 1991’s No More Tears album, Osbourne launched a 64-date farewell tour that ran from June 9 to Nov. 15 of 1992. The trek was chronicled on the 1993 live album and home video Live & Loud.
The last two shows of the tour were marked by a controversy involving his former Sabbath bandmates, who were scheduled to open for Osbourne. Ronnie James Dio was in the midst of his second stint as the band’s singer at the time, and refused to go on before somebody he considered a “clown.” Luckily, Judas Priest legend Rob Halford gamely stepped up to the plate instead.
Pretty much the second the farewell tour ended, Osbourne had a change of heart. “What else am I supposed to do?” he pondered. “Knit? No fucking way!” Three years later, he returned to action with the Ozzmosis album and the cleverly titled Retirement Sucks tour.
Read More: Revisiting Ozzy Osbourne’s Short-Lived ‘No More Tours’ Retirement
Watch Ozzy Osbourne Perform on the ‘No More Tours’ Tour
1999: Black Sabbath, ‘The Last Supper’ Tour
Black Sabbath’s summer stint headlining Ozzfest ‘99 carried the banner of “The Last Supper,” and the marketing surrounding the trek sure made it seem as if it was the end of the road for the most legendary band in the history of heavy metal.
A long-form live home video from the tour was widely critiqued for including numerous interview segments that interrupted the flow of the show. Luckily, those complaints would soon prove to be moot as the band returned to the road barely a year and a half later on Ozzfest ’01.
Watch Black Sabbath Perform on ‘The Last Supper’ Tour
2016-2017: Black Sabbath, ‘The End’ Tour
After touring together frequently during the early ’00s, Osbourne and Sabbath went their separate ways for the second half of the decade. Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler reunited for the third time with Ronnie James Dio, christening themselves Heaven & Hell after the first album they released together.
While Heaven and Hell embarked on several tours and released 2009’s well-regarded The Devil You Know, Osbourne resumed his solo career, releasing two more solo albums and touring in support of each.
Dio’s 2010 death brought an end to Heaven & Hell, and the following year Osbourne, Iommi and Butler (without Ward) reunited for another worldwide tour and their first Osbourne-fronted album in 35 years, 2013’s 13.
The next step, naturally, was another farewell tour, this time named The End. Although Ward again opted out due to a contentious contract dispute, the band played 81 shows between January 2016 and February 2017. The final show took place in the band’s hometown of Birmingham, England and was released as a live album and a concert film named The End of the End.
Watch Black Sabbath Conclude ‘The End’ Tour
2018: Ozzy Osbourne, ‘No More Tours II’ Tour
With his Black Sabbath career seemingly wrapped up, Osbourne decided to put a proper bow on his solo touring days as well, launching the self-mockingly titled No More Tours II trek in April of 2018.
Unfortunately, soon after a New Year’s Eve show at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif. Osbourne suffered a spinal injury during a fall from home. This together with other health issues and the COVID pandemic forced the singer to repeatedly postpone and then ultimately cancel his remaining touring plans in 2023.
“Never would I have imagined that my touring days would have ended this way,” Osbourne explained at the time. He stayed active in the studio in the early ’20s, releasing the guest star-laden albums Ordinary Man and Patient Number 9.
He repeatedly expressed the determination to end his performing career on his own terms, and to perform with the original lineup of Black Sabbath – this time including Ward – one more time. He’ll get the chance to do both on July 5 at the Back to the Beginning show.
The concert will feature an impressive lineup of guest stars such as Metallica and Guns N’ Roses, performing their own material as well as Sabbath and Osbourne covers. The night will conclude with an Osbourne solo set and then a full Black Sabbath reunion, although the singer has stated that due to his continuing health issues he will only be able to perform “bits and pieces” throughout the evening.
Watch Ozzy Osbourne Perform on the ‘No More Tours 2’ Tour
Black Sabbath Live Albums Ranked Worst to Best
Together, they paint a portrait of a band that lived hard, worked hard and played hard.
Gallery Credit: Bryan Rolli
