Ozzy Osbourne’s final bow was more than a concert—it was a moment etched into rock history. On July 5th, at Villa Park in Birmingham, the heavy metal icon took the stage one last time, joined by Black Sabbath and a lineup of rock royalty. Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Slayer, and others paid tribute in a thunderous celebration of legacy, streamed to millions and soaked in emotion.
Weeks later, Ozzy was gone—passing from a heart attack on July 22nd. But the spirit of that night may not be confined to the UK.
According to The Mirror, a trademark application has now been filed in the United States for “Back To The Beginning,” covering live musical performances. The filing comes from Monowise LTD, the company long tied to managing Osbourne’s rights. A similar application is reportedly in the works for the UK.
The move has fueled speculation that the event could return—this time as a tribute series or commemorative tour in Ozzy’s honor. Whether it’s connected to the upcoming 100-minute concert film (set to debut in 2026) or something entirely new remains unclear.
In his posthumously released memoir Last Rites, Ozzy reflected on that final performance with raw honesty. As quoted by The Times, he wrote: “I’d never really taken it on board that so many people liked me — or even knew who I was. It was overwhelming, man, it really was.”
“[My solo band and I] got through ‘I Don’t Know’, ‘Mr. Crowley’ and ‘Suicide Solution’ no problem at all,” he continued. “I was having a ball. But I choked up when I started ‘Mama, I’m Coming Home’. I mean, it’s Sharon‘s song, y’know? One of her favorites. Lemmy [Kilmister] wrote it with the two of us in mind. That alone was enough to bring tears to my eyes. But the feeling I had was about more than that. It was my last hurrah. I’d made it to the stage after six traumatic years, after losing the ability to walk or do anything on my own. It was just the whole thing, all of it coming together.
“I just couldn’t hold in my emotions any more. Out in the crowd, everyone was holding up the lights on their phones. Someone said in the papers it was like I was attending my own wake, which would be a very metal thing to do. But it didn’t feel like a funeral. It felt like a celebration. There was so much love in that stadium, coming at me in waves. I had tears streaming down my face, but I felt so uplifted. The crowd noticed I was struggling, and they started singing back the words. I’ve been so lucky to have had so many wonderful fans. God bless you all.
“By the end of the song, thank God, I’d managed to pull myself together. Then it was one last ride on the ‘Crazy Train’ and time for the SABBATH set.”
“The guys in Sabbath were as nervous as I was about me doing two sets in a row,” he added. “They had no idea if I could pull it off. But it couldn’t have gone better. When the crowd chanted the tune of ‘War Pigs’ like they were cheering on England at the World Cup, it was just electrifying. Then we did ‘N.I.B.’, ‘Iron Man’… and ‘Paranoid’.”
Writer and extreme metal devotee, Ialdagorth has spent over a decade covering the darkest corners of heavy music. A black metal lifer, he spends his free time wandering the Carpathian Mountains, likely humming blast beats to the trees.
