Black Sabbath given the freedom of the city of Birmingham ahead of final gig

Black Sabbath have been given the freedom of the city of Birmingham ahead of their final gig.

• READ MORE: Sharon Osbourne and Tony Iommi tell us about Black Sabbath’s finale: “Usually this thing is done when you’re dead”

The band’s huge farewell concert, dubbed ‘Back To The Beginning’, will be held at Villa Park in Birmingham on July 5. It’ll see frontman Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward perform onstage together for the first time in two decades.

Ahead of their huge finale, the metal legends have been given the freedom of the city of Birmingham, with all four original band members presented with scrolls and medals by the Lord Mayor.

The honour was given at a private ceremony on Saturday (June 28), which recognised the band’s significance as heavy metal pioneers from the city.

During the ceremony, Butler called Birmingham “a great working-class city” and said people used to make fun of the band’s accents. “We weren’t given a chance when we started out, but Birmingham has always been behind us.”

Osbourne later shared a memory of his late father going into debt to buy him a microphone, saying he thought he would be very proud. “I first put an advert in a music store in town,” he said. “If these guys hadn’t come to my door, I wouldn’t be sitting here now.

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“It seems to have flown by so quickly. It’s amazing,” he added. “I’m a Brummie and I always will be a Brummie. Birmingham Forever.”

The medals were designed by Toby Williams, a Birmingham City University student who won a competition.

Engravings in the Council House now join Broad Street’s bridge – dubbed “Black Sabbath Bridge” and stars on the Birmingham Walk of Fame as permanent tributes to the band in the city.

The scrolls and medals were produced by local businesses Hilton Studios and Fattorini, after it was revealed the final show will help to boost the West Midlands economy by up to £20million, per BBC News.

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Last week, the band shared their first behind-the-scenes look at preparations for their upcoming final show.

The Prince Of Darkness has not played a full gig since 2018, and has undergone multiple surgeries and experiencing numerous health problems in recent years, including Parkinson’s disease.

Despite his health, Osbourne has said he is “giving 120 per cent” as he prepares for his last performance. “I’ve got this trainer guy who helps people get back to normal,” the singer said. “It’s hard going, but he’s convinced that he can pull it off for me. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. All I can say is I’m giving 120 per cent. If my God wants me to do the show, I’ll do it.”

He had previously told fans that he was “in heavy training” for the Black Sabbath farewell concert, and was back in the gym. Osbourne also said he would only be “doing little bits and pieces” with Sabbath at Villa Park amid his health problems: “I am doing what I can, where I feel comfortable.”

Earlier this year, he said he now “can’t walk” as a result of Parkinson’s – but his wife and manager, Sharon, has told NME that his illness “doesn’t affect his voice”. “He wants to say thank you to everybody,” she explained to us at Villa Park. “He didn’t have that chance because of his illness, but now he does have the chance.”

Sharon said her husband was doing “really great” at the time. She told us that Ozzy was feeling “very emotional” about the final Sabbath set, and that it was “what he wants”.

“He wants to say thank you to everybody,” she explained at Villa Park. “He didn’t have that chance because of his illness, but now he does have the chance.” Sharon added that her husband was doing “really great” at the time and was feeling “very emotional” about the final Sabbath set, and that it was “what he wants”.

Black Sabbath’s stacked, star-studded bill boasts an array of heavyweights from the worlds of metal and rock. These include Tool, Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Alice In Chains, Gojira, Anthrax, Smashing Pumpkins‘ Billy Corgan, Guns N’ Roses, KoRn, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and the surviving members of Soundgarden.

Last week, Wolfgang Van Halen announced his withdrawal from the upcoming concert over tour commitments.

A livestream will begin at 3pm BST on July 5, and those who have bought livestream tickets will continue to have access to the concert footage in its entirety for another 48 hours afterwards.

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