Rage Against the Machine star reflects on meeting Ozzy Osbourne weeks before his death

EntertainmentMusic
23 Aug 2025 • 12:59 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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  • Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello believes Ozzy Osbourne knew he was close to death during his final Black Sabbath performance in Birmingham.
  • Osbourne, aged 76, died on 22 July, just two weeks after the farewell show at Villa Park, which Morello helped curate.
  • Fans who watched the live-streamed event also felt Osbourne was determined to perform his last gig despite being frail for some time.
  • The concert was hailed as a "spiritually great moment" for rock fans and raised funds for Cure Parkinson's, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and Acorn Children’s Hospice.
  • Osbourne's death certificate listed acute myocardial infarction and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest as primary causes, with coronary artery disease and Parkinson’s disease as contributing factors.