In what has now become a final, poignant message to his legions of followers, the late Ozzy Osbourne expressed his humble disbelief at the outpouring of love he received at his final concert, telling his wife Sharon: “I had no idea that so many people liked me.” Sharon Osbourne revealed her husband’s touching and deeply personal reflection in an interview conducted on July 17, just five days before he passed away.
Speaking with Pollstar about the triumphant “Back To The Beginning” farewell show on July 5, Sharon was asked how the “Prince of Darkness” felt about the historic event. She shared a surprising and heartfelt admission from her husband of 43 years, who was apparently overwhelmed by the 42,000 adoring fans who packed Villa Park stadium in his hometown of Birmingham.
She explained that after the show, Ozzy turned to her and confessed, “I had no idea that so many people liked me.” Sharon chalked up his surprise to the fact that, after 50 years as a global icon, he still lived in “his own bubble,” seemingly unaware of the sheer scale of his impact on the world.
For Sharon, the concert was the culmination of a long-held wish to give her husband the grand send-off he deserved. “I never wanted Ozzy to just disappear without some big event,” she explained. “And it’s the best way then to go home to where it all started, to go to his favorite stadium in the world… it was just perfect. It was the perfect storm, put it that way.”
Ozzy Osbourne passed away on July 22 at the age of 76 from what was later confirmed to be a heart attack. The humble sentiment he shared with his wife now serves as a bittersweet bookend to his legendary career. The immense love he was so surprised by was on full display in the weeks following his death, as thousands of fans made a global pilgrimage to Birmingham to leave flowers and tributes. This outpouring culminated in a massive public funeral procession on July 30, where the city streets were lined with mourners saying a final goodbye.
