From countless tours to the occasional fall-out to now suffering the ravages of time, Ozzy Osbourne and Tony Iommi have been through a lot over the last five decades. But through it all, they have remained close friends. Back in December, Ozzy Osbourne began his 73rd trip around the sun, and today, Tony Iommi joined him.
In celebration of the world-renowned guitarist’s 73rd birthday, Ozzy shared a picture of the two embracing on stage with the message, “Happy Birthday Tony!” It’s truly heartwarming to see that the two fathers of heavy metal still hold so much love and respect for one another after all these years.
Happy Birthday Tony! pic.twitter.com/0qwCz0Ff9O
— Ozzy Osbourne (@OzzyOsbourne) February 19, 2022
After enduring a series of health issues, Ozzy gave a touching statement with radio station 106.5 WSFL. “The Black Sabbath guys are never that far away from my thoughts, whether I like them today or not,” Osbourne says. “Since I’ve been laid up these last 18 months, Tony Iommi has been such a support for me. So supportive. I’ve been closer to him in the last 18 months than I ever have been. We never got on for years. But whatever he did before and whatever I did before…it’s so important that when you’re laid up, somebody cares enough to give you a thought. That’s all you need: a phone call or a text. It means the world.”
Tony Iommi couldn’t agree more, saying of the pandemic and old age, “It’s a bit like being on tour, without getting out to play. I think this has brought us all closer. I’m even in touch with Ozzy every day as he gets over his own health problems.”
Ozzy Osbourne Denies Possibility of Black Sabbath Reunion
For years, heavy metal fans around the world have held out hope for a Black Sabbath reunion tour. And when Tony Iommi said that he wanted the band to reunite once more after their 2017 farewell tour, Sabbath fans’ optimism was piqued.
Sadly, however, Ozzy Osbourne was quick to shoot down the possibility. “Not for me,” Ozzy said. “It’s done. The only thing I do regret is not doing the last farewell show in Birmingham with [drummer] Bill Ward. I felt really bad about that. It would have been so nice. I don’t know what the circumstances behind it were, but it would have been nice. I’ve talked to him a few times.”
Though Ozzy seems dead set against a reunion, he still refers to his Black Sabbath bandmates as “brothers.” Osbourne says of Tony Iommi, Bill Ward, and Geezer Butler, “F–king 50 years later, it’s still going. Those guys [are] my brothers, you know? They go back to my childhood. It’s more than a friendship with me and them guys; it’s a family. I don’t know any other people as long as I’ve known them.”
