Photo: Getty Images North America
Saturday (July 5) was an emotional night when Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath performed for the last time ever. Before taking his final bow with his former bandmates, the Prince of Darkness sang five songs solo, including the ballad "Mama, I'm Coming Home."
Music content creator/vocal coach Dimitrios Barmpas (@mr.music.uk on Instagram) shared a reel of Ozzy's isolated vocals during the emotional ballad, which shows just how much he put into the song.
"In what may be the last performance of his legendary solo career, Ozzy stood in front of the world and delivered a moment so fragile, so human, that it felt like time stood still," Barmpas wrote in the caption. "Stripped of instruments, his isolated vocals on 'Mama, I’m Coming Home' expose every breath, every break, every ounce of vulnerability. His voice, weathered by time and Parkinson’s, may not be as agile—but it’s more honest than ever."
"He’s not just singing. He’s pleading. He’s not just performing. He’s remembering," he continued. "And through that trembling vibrato and the cracks of emotion, the Prince of Darkness becomes the most luminous figure of the night."
"This isn’t about pitch perfection. It’s about presence," Barmpas noted. "About the courage to say goodbye, in the only way a true legend can—with heart wide open."
Back to the Beginning wasn't only memorable from a music standpoint, the event also raised nearly $200 million for charity and Slipknot's Sid Wilson proposed to Ozzy's daughter Kelly Osbourne.
See Barmpas' post below.