Tony Iommi Shares Ozzy Osbourne’s Final Text Before His Death: ‘It Was a Hell of a Shock’

Tony Iommi has opened up about the heartbreaking final text message he received from longtime bandmate and friend Ozzy Osbourne, admitting he never expected the Black Sabbath frontman to pass away so suddenly despite his years of health struggles.

Speaking in a new interview with Rolling Stone, Iommi reflected on Black Sabbath’s emotional farewell performance, Ozzy’s declining health, and the final conversation they shared just hours before the legendary singer died.

Ozzy’s Final Message

According to Iommi, Ozzy reached out the night before his death to say he was not feeling well. While the message now carries enormous emotional weight, the guitarist said it initially felt like one of many conversations the two had shared in recent years.

“He texted me the night before, funny enough, and said he weren’t feeling great,” Iommi recalled. “Most of our conversations were, ‘How are you feeling? How’s this? How’s that?’ So it was just another conversation.”

The next day, Ozzy was gone.

“I didn’t expect him to go overnight. Blimey. It was a hell of a shock, really,” Iommi said.

A Friendship That Spanned Nearly Six Decades

Iommi and Osbourne first met in Birmingham, England, before co-founding Black Sabbath in 1968 alongside bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward. Together, they helped pioneer heavy metal, creating classic albums including Black Sabbath, Paranoid, and Master of Reality.

Although the band experienced lineup changes over the decades, Iommi and Osbourne remained close friends, regularly checking in on one another as they each faced serious health challenges.

The guitarist revealed that Ozzy had been especially supportive during his own battle with lymphoma.

“When I was diagnosed with cancer, he called me every day,” Iommi said. “We’ve been supportive of each other.”

An Emotional Farewell Performance

Looking back on Black Sabbath’s farewell concert, Iommi admitted the performance felt very different from anything the band had experienced before.

For the first time, Ozzy performed seated on a throne because of his ongoing health problems.

“On the night, it felt very strange,” Iommi explained. “We’d never been onstage with Ozzy in a throne before. He was always jumping around, pulling faces, and making me and Geezer laugh.”

Because drummer Bill Ward had rejoined the band for the first time in two decades and wanted additional support during the performance, Iommi spent much of the show standing closer to the drum kit than usual.

Only after watching the concert again did the emotional impact fully sink in.

“I knew his health was deteriorating, but I didn’t expect it to happen that quick,” he said.

Missing Their Conversations

Months after Ozzy’s passing, Iommi admitted he still struggles to accept the loss.

“It’s been really strange,” he said. “I still don’t feel like he’s gone because when I look on YouTube or whatever, there’s something to do with Ozzy, and I see him again and again.”

“It’s almost like he’s still here. It’s really peculiar.”

What he misses most, however, are the simple conversations the two shared.

“That’s what I miss,” Iommi said. “Our conversations.”

Looking Ahead

While continuing to mourn his longtime friend, Iommi is also preparing for his own next musical chapter.

The guitarist is set to release his first solo studio album in 21 years, From the Dark, on October 23 through BMG. The album features Norwegian vocalist Jørn Lande, Mercyful Fate bassist Becky Baldwin and drummer Karl Brazil, best known for his work with Robbie Williams.

Even as he moves forward creatively, Iommi’s reflections make clear that Ozzy Osbourne’s absence continues to leave an irreplaceable void not only in the history of heavy metal, but in the life of one of his closest friends.

Featured Image: By Guy Evans – Flickr: HomeofMetal_Fox_0659, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22744790