“The Black Sabbath frontman, 76, performed his final gig at Birmingham ‘s Villa Park this weekend as he reunited with his bandmates one last time.”, — write: www.dailymail.co.uk
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By LAURA PARKIN FOR MAILONLINE
Published: 01:50 BST, 9 July 2025 | Updated: 01:53 BST, 9 July 2025
The Black Sabbath frontman, 76, performed his final gig at Birmingham’s Villa Park this weekend as he reunited with his bandmates one last time.
Ozzy has spoken openly about his health in recent years after undergoing seven surgeries in the past five years, including a fourth spinal operation in 2023.
The band – Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Bill Ward and Ozzy – are said to have trademarked their name in virtual reality.
It would allow for Black Sabbath to be beamed out in arenas in digital form – allowing them to perform gigs from thousands of miles away.
According to The Mirror, the papers ‘trademark use of production and presentation of animation and other special effects.’
The move to trademark their virtual being follows the estates of George Michael and Freddie Mercury, who also filed documentation showing they plan to branch out into live events – inspired by ABBA Voyage.
MailOnline has contacted Ozzy’s representative for comment.
Bands like Oasis have also taken similar plans, while rockers KISS have unveiled ‘immortal’ digital avatars that will carry on their performances when band members are no longer able to tour.
The rash of projects involving holograms of pop stars has been fuelled by the success of London’s ABBA Voyage show, which sold more than a million tickets in the first year, and is one of London’s most visited attractions.
ABBA Voyage, launched in 2022, has holographic avatars of Bjorn Ulvaeus, Agnetha Faltskog, Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Benny Andersson singing crowd favourites such as Dancing Queen and Waterloo.
Ozzy closed out his final ever live performance with some emotional words at Birmingham’s Villa Park Stadium on Saturday night.
He reunited with his Black Sabbath bandmates for their first performance in their original line-up since 2005 – and their final ever show as a band.
The heavy metal singer had some poignant words for Villa Park as he brought the show to an emotional close in his hometown, Birmingham – where Black Sabbath formed some 56 years ago.
Closing the band’s final gig, Ozzy said: ‘It’s the last song ever. Your support has enabled us to live an amazing lifestyle, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.’
A message on screen then read: ‘Thank you for everything, you guys are f***ing amazing. Birmingham Forever,’ before the sky lit up with fireworks.
The band’s final performance was overwhelming for frontman Ozzy, who repeatedly thanked fans for their ongoing support over his five decades in the music industry.
As the 42,000-strong crowd cheered him on, Ozzy admitted at one point: ‘You have no idea how I feel.’
Ozzy previously said he was unsure whether he was going to stand or sit down to perform due to his spinal operations, and he made an epic arrival on stage in a black quilted throne with a huge bat on top.