Ozzy Osbourne, the legendary frontman of Black Sabbath and one of rock’s most iconic figures, is set to release his final memoir, Last Rites, on October 7 via Grand Central Publishing.
Billed as Osbourne’s ultimate reckoning, Last Rites promises to deliver a raw, darkly funny, and deeply personal account of the last seven years of his life — a period marked by intense health struggles, soul-searching, and one final return to the stage. The book chronicles his harrowing physical battles, as well as reflections on a career that defied logic and survival odds alike.
Alongside these confessions, Ozzy opens up about his famously chaotic marriage to Sharon Osbourne, his wild experiences with fellow rock rebels like Slash, Bon Scott, John Bonham, and Keith Moon, and his emotional final moments with Motörhead’s Lemmy Kilmister. The memoir also recounts the emotional high point of his career-ending “Back to the Beginning” concert — a globally streamed Black Sabbath reunion that raised millions for charity and served as his powerful goodbye to the stage.
“People say to me, if you could do it all again, knowing what you know now, would you change anything? I’m, like, f**k no,” Ozzy said in a statement. “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.”
The announcement of Last Rites comes just days after Osbourne’s historic final concert on July 5, 2025, at Villa Park in Birmingham. The 10-hour “Back to the Beginning” event marked Black Sabbath’s last-ever live appearance and raised an astonishing $190 million for Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and Acorn Children’s Hospice — a sendoff that made history both musically and philanthropically.
Last Rites follows Osbourne’s bestselling 2009 autobiography I Am Ozzy, and is expected to be his final word on a life lived at full volume. Equal parts brutal, hilarious, and unexpectedly uplifting, the memoir cements Ozzy’s legacy not only as the Godfather of Metal, but as a true survivor and cultural icon.
