Fifteen months after the death of Ozzy Osbourne, Birmingham is once again preparing to celebrate the life and legacy of one of its most famous sons as Back to the Beginning—the film of his final live performance—is released in cinemas this week.
The concert, staged at Villa Park in July last year, was far more than another date on a tour. It was a homecoming. Taking place in the heart of Birmingham, just a short distance from where John Michael “Ozzy” Osbourne was born and raised in Aston, it brought the story of a remarkable career full circle. Just 17 days later, the man who became known across the world as the Prince of Darkness was gone.
For generations of music fans, Ozzy was not simply a global rock icon. He was a Brummie through and through. Growing up in a working-class household in Aston, he found his escape in music alongside fellow Birmingham musicians Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward. Together they formed Black Sabbath, a band whose heavy, industrial sound was shaped by the city around them—its factories, foundries and post-war landscape.
Black Sabbath’s roots are inseparable from Birmingham’s identity. Widely credited with creating the heavy metal genre, the band’s rise from the streets of Aston to worldwide fame remains one of the city’s greatest cultural success stories. While millions knew Ozzy as the larger-than-life frontman, Birmingham always knew him as one of its own.
That connection was evident throughout the Villa Park concert. Fans travelled from across the globe, but at its heart the event belonged to Birmingham. It was a celebration not only of Ozzy’s career but also of the city that helped produce one of the most influential bands in music history.
Those who have already seen advance screenings of the film say the cinema experience feels more like attending a live concert than watching a movie.
“When I saw it last week, it was like going to a gig,” said one fan. “People were singing along, holding their phone lights in the air and cheering throughout. Nobody stayed seated. It was just like being back at Villa Park. It was great. It was joyous.”
For many, the film will be an emotional experience. It captures Ozzy’s final appearance before a hometown crowd, performing in the city where everything began. Yet rather than a sombre farewell, those who have seen it describe it as a celebration of a life lived at full volume.
More than a year after his passing, Ozzy’s influence continues to resonate far beyond Birmingham. But as Back to the Beginning arrives in cinemas, it also serves as a reminder that before the worldwide fame, the television stardom and the heavy metal legend, Ozzy Osbourne was an Aston lad whose journey started on the streets of Birmingham—and whose final bow took place where he always belonged: at home.
