The “Queen Of Country” Bids Farewell To The “Prince Of Darkness”

On July 5, a daylong farewell celebration for Ozzy Osbourne and the founding lineup of his seminal heavy metal band Black Sabbath was held at Birmingham’s Villa Park stadium in England.

Dubbed the “Back To The Beginning” show, the event saw the likes of Steven Tyler of Aerosmith and Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine perform Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love,” and many bands — such as Korn, Lamb Of God, and Metallica — pay tribute to Black Sabbath and its original frontman, Ozzy.

The event also saw some unique farewell messages, including one from the “Queen of Country,” Dolly Parton.

“Well, Ozzy Osbourne, it’s Dolly Parton here,” Dolly began in her typical manner, as seen in an exclusive Rolling Stone video. “Now, I know you’re at home, and what a wonderful place to be, right? Now, are we supposed to be saying, ‘Farewell,’ to you? Well, I don’t think that’s gonna happen. How about we just say, ‘Good luck, God bless you, and we will see you somewhere down the road.”

Dolly, who is only three years older than Ozzy, concluded her message, saying, “Anyway, I love you — always have — and we’re gonna miss you up on stage, but you know what? I wouldn’t be surprised if you don’t show up somewhere else, and I’ll be there. Love you!”

Watch the video of Dolly’s message to Ozzy on the Rolling Stone website, here.

However, her message would be sent to Ozzy only 17 days before his death at the age of 76 on Tuesday, July 22.

Ozzy’s Daughter And Grandson Meet Dolly

On The Osbournes Podcast last year, Ozzy inquired about a photo he saw of his grandson, Sidney, with Dolly Parton.

Kelly Osbourne was on the red carpet as a fashion correspondent at the Dolly Parton Pet Gala in 2024, and she said of the experience meeting and working with Dolly, “Dolly was so amazing. They always say, ‘Don’t meet your idols,’ but I say, ‘Don’t meet your idols, unless it’s Dolly Parton,’ because she does not disappoint.”

Watch the Osbourne family’s full comments on Dolly, here:

The Final Live Ozzy Show

Back in 1968, in Birmingham, England, Ozzy Osbourne and guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward, and bassist Geezer Butler started a band: Black Sabbath.

Through the 1970s, the band saw great success, with their first three albums in particular — Black Sabbath (1970), Paranoid (1970), and Master of Reality (1971) — helping to define the heavy metal sound with songs like “War Pigs,” “Paranoid,” and “Iron Man.”

At the start of the 1980s, Ozzy Osbourne kicked off a successful solo career, whilst battling addiction.

The battle would go on for much of his life, even overlapping with some of his time on the 2002 reality show The Osbournes.

When the “Back To the Beginning” show was announced in February, Ozzy said, “It’s my time to go Back To The Beginning… time for me to give back to the place where I was born. How blessed am I to do it with the help of people whom I love? Birmingham is the true home of metal. Birmingham Forever.”

On July 5, Ozzy performed the “Back To The Beginning” seated on a throne for much of the duration of the concert. Unable to walk due to Parkinson’s disease, which he was diagnosed with in 2005, fans were still seen relishing Black Sabbath’s first (and final) performance in 20 years.

According to Rolling Stone, the farewell concert raised $190 million for charity, with funds directed toward Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Acom Children’s Hospice.