Rock hero Ozzy Osbourne made a surprise appearance onstage in his home city of Birmingham to close out the 2022 Commonwealth Games and was met with a rapturous reception.
The Aston-born musician, 73, was joined by members of his band Black Sabbath, including guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Tommy Clufetos and bassist Adam Wakeman for the explosive performance.
Fireworks were set off and crowds cheered as they launched into their hit song Paranoid as part of a celebration of the musical heritage of the West Midlands, during which the singer proudly proclaimed: ‘Birmingham forever!’
The ceremony, held at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, also saw performances from artists including UB40, Beverley Knight, Dexys Midnight Runners, Goldie, The Selecter, Jorja Smith and Laura Mvula, giving a special Peaky Binders-themed performance.
However, fans were most enthralled by Ozzy’s fiery performance and flawless vocals, considering the health battles he has fought of late.
The metal icon, who has Parkinson’s disease, had been keeping a low profile recently after undergoing an operation in June that would ‘determine his life’, but was spotted in a rare appearance in London on Friday alongside his wife Sharon and daughter Kelly.
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The 73-year-old recently said that it was a ‘slow climb back’ after the surgery.
However, none of that slowness seemed to be in evidence as he lead Black Sabbath in a rousing performance.
‘Great to see Ozzy looking and singing so well after recent health scares,’ enthused one fan, adding: ‘Still holding onto those tickets for next year’s UK tour.’
‘No way is Ozzy Osbourne at the commonwealth games what a f**king legend,’ posted another.
He also suffered a fall at home in 2019, which aggravated injuries from a 2003 quad bike accident.
Discussing his health in a candid chat at Comic-Con last month, after being diagnosed with Covid-19, he spoke of getting out of the house and traveling to San Diego for the event.
‘I like to see people,’ he told Entertainment Tonight. ‘That’s been the hardest thing of the past three years, because I’ve been trying to recover from my surgery.
‘I’m getting there. It’s a slow climb back, you know?’
2022 has seen the most successful Commonwealth Games ever for the home nations, with a combined total of 275 medals, including 85 golds.
England led the way with 57 golds, behind only Australia in the medal table, and 176 in total, while Northern Ireland set national records and Scotland and Wales also thrived.
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