Sharon Osbourne has spoken out against what she calls «false press» regarding the amount of money raised for charity by Back to the Beginning, Black Sabbath’s farewell concert held on July 5 at Birmingham’s Villa Park.
Billed as a historic moment in heavy metal history, and widely praised as the greatest metal concert of all time, the event marked Ozzy Osbourne’s final live performance and featured a powerhouse lineup including Metallica, Slayer, Guns N’ Roses, Tool and others. The show was livestreamed globally, with proceeds pledged to Acorns Children’s Hospice, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and Cure Parkinson’s.
Soon after the concert, Black Sabbath’s musical director Tom Morello shared photos from the day on Instagram, including an image of Ozzy Osbourne overlaid with the caption: «More than 190 mln will be donated to houses and hospitals for children.»
Media outlets echoed the claim. Billboard reported that the event raised $190 mln, while The Guardian stated the livestream drew over five million viewers and generated an estimated $150 mln in revenue.
But in a recent interview with Pollstar, Sharon Osbourne disputed those numbers.
«One of the things that’s frightening me is all this false press,» she said. «We’ve made $140 mln, $160 mln for one gig? I wish! It’s just ridiculous. Where does this stuff come from?»
Osbourne emphasised that the financials are still being finalised, noting that many bands performed and had to cover their own costs.
«It’ll take a good six weeks to get the final number,» she added.
When interviewer Ray Waddell pointed out that such inflated reports may create unrealistic expectations for the benefiting charities, Osbourne agreed:
«Oh my God! It’s the Children’s Hospital, a children’s hospice, and Parkinson’s research. Everybody thinks they’re going to cure everything with this much money but that’s not the real world.»
Despite the financial confusion, Osbourne called the farewell show «a phenomenal event.»
«It was the perfect goodbye,» she said. «The first time anyone’s ended a career with a globally streamed concert dedicated entirely to charity. I never wanted Ozzy to just disappear without some big event.»
Ozzy Osbourne passed away on July 22, just weeks after his final emotional performance, closing the book on one of rock’s most legendary careers.
