Ozzy Osbourne would like to see Black Sabbath’s farewell tour extended beyond its end next year – but he accepts it’s unlikely to happen.
And he’s preparing for the emotion to build up ahead of their last-ever concerts in their home city of Birmingham on February 2 and 4.
The band’s The End tour is currently moving through Europe, with dates to follow in North and South America, before a final run in the UK.
Ozzy tells Billboard: “We’re doing 80 shows – it’s good enough. I wouldn’t mind extending the tour for another few gigs. There’s a lot of people who won’t get to see us, but I don’t think it’s going to happen.”
He says of the tour so far: “It’s great. I’m having a blast with it.
- The top 10 best Beastie Boys songs with classic rock samples
- Motorhead: "There are mistakes on No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith. Life ain't perfect"
- Guns N' Roses favourites to headline Glastonbury 2017
- Journey looked after me despite firing me, says Deen Castronovo
“Right now I’m okay with it. I’m sure as it starts counting down to five shows left or something, it’s going to be kind of emotional.
“We started off as four guys from Aston who had a dream, and it came true beyond our wildest dreams. We were manipulated, ripped off, conned. We lost each other within each other. But it’s great to have got this back just to end on a high note.”
And the vocalist is looking forward to returning to his solo career once Black Sabbath bow out. “It’s not me that wants to retire,” he says. “I’ll be continuing my own musical thing.
“Being Ozzy Osbourne solo again is not a job – it’s the biggest, greatest love affair of my life.”
His wife and manager Sharon said last month that the 67-year-old would retire before he was 70, commenting: “I don’t want Ozzy singing Crazy Train at 75.”
Ozzy Osbourne and son in new history show trailer
Black Sabbath: The End tour
Jun 28: Vienna Stadthalle, Austria
Jun 30: Prague 02 Arena, Czech Republic
Jul 02: Krakow Tauron Arena, Poland
Jul 05: Riga Arena, Latvia
Jul 07: Helsinki Monsters of Rock, Finland
Jul 09: Stockholm Monsters of Rock, Sweden
Jul 12: Moscow Olympisky Arena, Russia
Aug 17: Wantagh Nikon at Jones Beach Theater, NY
Aug 19: Philadelphia Susquehanna Bank Center, PA
Aug 21: Washington Jiffy Lube Live, DC
Aug 23: Holmdel PNC Bank Arts Center, NJ
Aug 25: Boston Xfinity Center, MA
Aug 27: Uncasville Mohegan Sun Arena, CT
Aug 29: Toronto Molson Canadian Amphitheatre, ON
Aug 31: Detroit DTE Energy Music Theater, MI
Sep 02: Indianapolis Klipsch Music Center, IN
Sep 04: Chicago Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, IL
Sep 07: Dallas Gexa Energy Pavilion, TX
Sep 09: Albuquerque Isleta Ampitheater, NM
Sep 11: Salt Lake City USANA Ampitheater, UT
Sep 13: Portland Sunlight Supply Arena, OR
Sep 15: Oakland Oracle Arena, CA
Sep 17: Las Vegas MGM Grand Garden Arena, NV
Sep 19: Hollywood Hollywood Bowl, CA
Sep 21: Phoenix AK-Chin Pavilion, AZ
Sep 24: San Manuael Amphitheatre & Festival Grounds, CA
Nov 08: Oklahoma BOK Center, OK
Nov 10: Houston Toyota Center, TX
Nov 12: San Antonio AT&T Center, TX
Nov 16: Mexico City Foro Sol, Mexico
Nov 19: Santiago Estadio Nacional, Chile
Nov 24: Cordoba En El Orfeo Superdomo, Argentina
Nov 26: Buenos Aires Estadio Velez, Argentina
Nov 30: Curitiba Pedrerira Paulo Leminski, Brazil
Dec 02: Rio Praca Da Apoteose, Brazil
Dec 04: Sao Paulo Estadio Do Morumbi, Brazil
Jan 20: Dublin 3 Arena, Ireland
Jan 22: Manchester Arena, UK
Jan 24: Glasgow SSE Hydro, UK
Jan 26: Leeds First Direct Arena, UK
Jan 29: London O2, UK
Jan 31: London O2, UK
Feb 02: Birmingham Genting Arena, UK
Feb 04: Birmingham Genting Arena, UK
