Ozzy Osbourne gave views on afterlife weeks before death as he said 'it won't be long now'

Heavy metal legend Ozzy Osbourne offered a grim forecast about the afterlife just weeks before his death. Ozzy passed away on July 22 two decades after his Parkinson's disease diagnosis and just weeks after his spectacular Back to the Beginning concert with Black Sabbath in their home city of Birmingham.

In his forthcoming posthumous memoir Last Rites, set to be released on Tuesday (October 7), he candidly discussed his expectations for what comes after life.

The Sabbath frontman confessed "I've no idea" regarding what death might mean before his passing at 76 earlier this year.

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He wrote: "People ask me what I think's gonna happen in the afterlife. I say to 'em, 'I've no idea, but it won't be long now, so if you hand around a bit, maybe I can haunt you and give you the answer.'"

Ozzy added: "As for what I want on my tombstone, that's one of the subjects my family definitely won't let me discuss."

Ozzy's book was completed following his triumphant homecoming to Birmingham for the Villa Park show, which featured Sabbath's final performance alongside titans of metal such as Metallica, Pantera, and Slayer.

Father-of-six Ozzy had previously speculated about what might be carved on his gravestone, saying no-one would be able to forget a notorious 1982 episode during his Diary of a Madman tour.

During a gig in Des Moines, Iowa, Ozzy Osbourne was famously tricked into biting the head off what he thought was a rubber bat thrown on stage, only to discover it was very much real.

Reflecting on the notorious incident in a 2004 interview, Ozzy quipped: "I know what's going to be on my tombstone, and there's no getting around it: 'Here lies Ozzy Osbourne, the ex-Black Sabbath singer who bit the head off a bat'."

In his autobiography 'I Am Ozzy', released in 2010, he described the moment of horror: "Something felt wrong. Very wrong. For a start my mouth was instantly full of this warm, gloopy liquid. Then the head in my mouth twitched."

Mark Neal, the 17 year old fan who allegedly threw the bat, maintains it had been dead well before the show.

Despite his reputation for fearlessness on stage, Ozzy admitted to feeling anxious ahead of his final performance at the star-studded 'Back to the Beginning' concert in Birmingham on July 5.

With an increasing number of celebrities joining the event, Ozzy felt the weight of expectation.

Battling severe health issues and fearing he might not make it to the stage, Ozzy considered alternatives: "I kept saying to Sharon, 'We'd better get a video made 'cos there'll be an empty stage.' She just looked at me like I was mad. She knows me better than I do. She knew I was just scared."

Sharon, who has managed her husband since 1979, offered words of comfort: "If you can't sing on the night, just talk to the crowd and thank them. All you need to do is get up there and be Ozzy."

In his memoir, Ozzy expressed his skepticism about returning to England for his final performance, writing: "Well, I made it. Back to England. Back to Birmingham. Back to the Beginning as my final gig was called."

He candidly shared his grim expectations: "For a while I was convinced my last trip home would be in a pine f***ing box."

Reflecting on the initial proposal of the farewell concert, he admitted: "I mean, I've got to be honest with you, when Sharon first mentioned the idea of the gig to me, I didn't think there was much chance of me making it to 2025."

The rock icon noted that the overwhelming affection from the full house at Villa Park was the ultimate high he had sought throughout his years of battling addiction.

Ozzy reminisced about the sense of belonging and tranquility he experienced during his final show: "At Back to the Beginning, sitting on that throne, I felt at home, I felt at peace,".

He said about his long-standing career: "I felt comfortable. I'm gonna miss doing it, going on stage. It's the only world I've known for 57 years."

Describing the unparalleled thrill of live performance, he said: "There's nothing better than a good gig. The roar of a crowd, man, it's so contagious, so addictive. That's the magic, right there."

Looking back, Ozzy realised that his lifelong pursuit of highs was actually a quest to recapture the rush of performing: "It's funny, I spent my whole life trying to get high from every substance known to man. But looking back now, I realise I was just trying to get back the feeling of when I was up there on stage, doing my job."

Catch Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home tonight (Thursday, October 2) at 9pm on BBC One.