Sharon Osbourne struck 'unusual deal' to grant Ozzy's last wish in final act of love before his death

LONDON ENGLAND: Ozzy Osbourne's 'Back to the Beginning' farewell show, which raised millions for charity, marked the Black Sabbath legend's final performance in his hometown.

Known as the self-proclaimed 'Prince of Darkness,' he took his final bow just weeks before his death on Tuesday, July 22.  

Sharon Osbourne struck 'unusual deal' to save Ozzy Osbourne's last gig

The 76-year-old rocker was forced to perform seated on a bat throne, a compromise his wife Sharon Osbourne reached after a behind-the-scenes battle with insurers.

The July 5 sold-out concert, two weeks before his death, held in Ozzy's native Birmingham, raised £140 million ($190 million) for charity.

It could have been canceled if not for Sharon’s determination to make it happen.

She worked out a solution, but insiders revealed that it upset Ozzy, as he had trained relentlessly for months to stand on stage with his old bandmates.

"It's likely the show would have been cancelled had he not appeared on a throne," an insider told the Daily Mail.

"Sharon and her promoters were dealing with the insurance company, who were holding back on covering the costs of the show – if he tried to walk or stand. The pay out for a fall would have been astronomical and pretty much uninsurable," the source shared.

Ozzy, as per the report, also couldn't complete the "standard medical" that all pop stars go through before being insured.

"With the Parkinson's and the walking issues, no insurance agent would agree to let Oz stand. So, to overcome that – and not have a huge insurance premium on a charity show – [Sharon] secured an unusual deal to have him sit in his throne," the insider said.

Ozzy was "constantly in training seven days a week" ahead of the show at Villa Park, with a live-in trainer monitoring his blood pressure "15 times a day" and asking him to wear a pulse oximeter to check his blood oxygen levels and pulse.

Ozzy Osbourne wanted to 'come home' after years in the US

Ozzy and Sharon had long wanted to relocate back to the UK from Los Angeles.

The couple had lived in the US for over 20 years, but Birmingham-born Ozzy admitted he was "desperate to come home."

However, his health struggles, Parkinson’s diagnosis, and spinal surgery delayed the move until Sharon put a plan in place to fulfill his wish.

"It just seems that every time we're set to go, something happens with Ozzy's health," Sharon previously shared.

After years of planning, they finally returned just in time for Ozzy’s last gig, which fittingly took place in Birmingham on July 5.

"It's time for me to spend some time with my grandkids," he told the Guardian in May. "I don't want to die in a hotel room somewhere. I want to spend the rest of my life with my family."

One of his main motivations was the firearm violence in America. "Everything's f***ing ridiculous [in America]. I'm fed up with people getting killed every day," he told The Observer.

Ozzy Osbourne's final show 'drove him in the last few months'

The 'Crazy Train' singer battled physical issues for years before his death on Tuesday, July 22. He broke his collarbone and six ribs after a quad bike accident in 2003.

In 2019, he dislodged the rods in his back after a fall in his bathroom and revealed the same year that he had Parkinson's disease.

"Ozzy had spent months working his backside off to get up and stand on stage," the insider further told the Daily Mail.

"He pushed himself hard in the toughest of circumstances given his injuries and pain levels. There was a trainer practically living in the house with the express purpose of him being ready to move in some capacity standing up on stage," revealed the insider. 

"That was his dream and hope. It drove Ozzy in the last few months because he wanted to go out showing off some of that physicality. He was grateful to be out there but tinged with disappointment at being sat down," said the insider.