Fresh off his triumphant final concert, Ozzy Osbourne has announced a new memoir, Last Rites, which will be published Oct. 7 via Grand Central Publishing.
The book will be centered around the various health issues and ailments the metal legend has battled over the past seven years, and which precipitated his decision to finally stop performing live. But the book will also find Osbourne reflecting on many other aspects of his life and career, from his tumultuous marriage with Sharon Osbourne, to the preparations for his all-star farewell concert.
Additionally, Last Rites will feature stories of Osbourne’s encounters with fellow rock legends like Slash, Bon Scott, John Bonham, and Keith Moon. He’ll also tell the story of the final moments he spent with Motörhead’s Lemmy Kilmister, who died in 2015.
In a statement, Osbourne said of the book, “People say to me, if you could do it all again, knowing what you know now, would you change anything? I’m like, fuck no. If I’d been clean and sober, I wouldn’t be Ozzy. If I’d done normal, sensible things, I wouldn’t be Ozzy. Look, if it ends tomorrow, I can’t complain. I’ve been all around the world. Seen a lot of things. I’ve done good… and I’ve done bad. But right now, I’m not ready to go anywhere.”
Last Rites will be Osbourne’s second book, following his 2009 memoir, I Am Ozzy.
Osbourne’s farewell show — dubbed Back to the Beginning — took place this past weekend in Birmingham, England. Along with a final performances from Osbourne, including a short set with Black Sabbath, the show featured sets from Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Slayer, Tool, Lamb of God, and more, with Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello serving as musical director. According to reports, the show also raised nearly $200 million for various charitable organizations.
The cover of Ozzy Osbourne‘s memoir, ‘Last Rites.’ Courtesy of Grand Central Publishing.