Why Did English Heavy Metal Legend Ozzy Osbourne Leave Black Sabbath?

Years before Ozzy Osbourne celebrated his last performance, the acclaimed singer left Black Sabbath. The group found plenty of success thanks to albums such as "Paranoid" and "Master of Reality," but the members of the band felt that it was time for a change. After years of touring across the world with Black Sabbath, Ozzy was sent in a different direction. But what could be enough to drive someone away from such a successful band?

Black Sabbath was formed in 1968, when guitarist Tony Iommi and drummer Bill Ward wanted to come up with a new group. Their endeavor eventually led to the recruitment of Ozzy Osbourne and bassist Geezer Butler, turning Black Sabbath into one of the most successful bands of its time. The legacy of the band continues to grow decades later, but at some point, the dynamic between the members of the band stopped working.

Ozzy Osbourne had quite a successful career thanks to Black Sabbath. The reason why the vocalist was ready to move on from the band was that his addiction issues became too much for the group to tolerate. According to Ultimate Classic Rock, drummer Tony Iommi was the one to tell Ozzy that he was no longer welcome in Black Sabbath. The vocalist of the group pivoted toward a career as a solo artist.

The first album the singer launched as a solo act was called "Blizzard of Ozz," and it included songs such as "Crazy Train" and "Mr. Crowley." After establishing himself as a solo act, Ozzy released albums such as "Diary of a Madman" and "Bark at the Moon."

Even if the artist was enjoying his time as a singer, his solo career didn't mark the end of the road for Black Sabbath. The group eventually reunited for the production of "13," an album that was constantly delayed because every member of the band pursued different projects.

After a successful career as both a member of Black Sabbath and as a solo artist, Ozzy Osbourne decided that it was finally time to move away from the stage. The singer announced through his official website that his last show would be called "Back to the Beginning." The event took place in July 2025 at Villa Park in England, with around 45,000 gathering to witness Ozzy's final performance.

One of the most unexpected aspects of "Back to the Beginning" was how it allowed Black Sabbath to perform together one last time. The members of the original band were present during the celebration of Ozzy Osbourne's trajectory.

Bassist Geezer Butler, drummer Bill Ward, and guitarist Tony Iommi took the stage in England to bring their friend's career to a close. "Iron Man" and "War Pigs" were some of the songs they played during the emotional performance. The legacy of Ozzy and Black Sabbath will continue to live through their music for decades.