In 2025, the music world said a final goodbye to the Prince of Darkness, Ozzy Osbourne. But before he left us, he gave fans one final, legendary performance in Birmingham and a candid, posthumous memoir that serves as the ultimate encore.
On this episode of Loud Lit, Matt dives into Last Rites. Written with Chris Ayers, this memoir is a raw, witty, and surprisingly moving account of Ozzy’s final years.
(0:05) Last year, we lost an absolute rock and roll icon when Ozzy Osbourne passed away (0:10) at the age of 76. Yes, it was a sad day for those who knew and loved him and a (0:15) huge loss to the metal fans around the world who considered him a pioneer in the (0:20) genre we love. Man, what a way to go out.
Just weeks before his death, Ozzy took (0:25) the stage one last time in his home of Birmingham, England to headline the (0:29) Back to the Beginning Festival, performing one last set of solo material (0:34) followed by the final performance of Black Sabbath with all four original (0:39) members. It was a beautiful moment for music and although we didn't know how (0:43) much time he had left, it was the perfect public send-off for the larger-than-life (0:48) rocker. Released just a few months after his death, Ozzy's second biography, Last (0:53) Rites, reveals just how fortunate we are that the Back to the Beginning show even (0:58) happened.
) in October:
It's an easy way to encourage fellow music lovers to dive deeper into (1:23) the stories behind their favorite artists. If you're a metal fan, go back a (1:28) few episodes and check out the review of Dark Days by Lamb of God's Randy Bly. And (1:33) by the way, I recently launched another podcast all about heavy metal.
It's (1:36) called The Noise Report. Three metal fans discussing classic albums, and then each (1:42) one comes to the table with albums or bands you should check out if you're a (1:46) fan of that classic. If you're an old-timer like us, this is a good way to (1:50) discover heavy music that might not be on your radar.
Search for The Noise (1:54) Report wherever you listen to podcasts. Now, let's talk Ozzy and Last Rites. (2:02) The main story thread of Last Rites is of Ozzy trying to launch one more world (2:06) tour, but constantly running into setbacks.
Between his Parkinson's, a (2:12) freak accident that nearly broke his neck, and the COVID-19 pandemic, the (2:16) and his band crew and fans can't seem to catch a break. The hospital visits and (2:22) physical therapy take their toll on the aging Prince of Darkness, but his biggest (2:26) frustration is having to disappoint his legions of devoted fans with (2:31) postponement announcements. Despite the one-step-forward, two-steps-back nature (2:36) of this story arc, Ozzy never stops being Ozzy.
He discusses his frustrations (2:42) honestly, but with his trademark irreverent wit. For example, when Sharon (2:46) caught COVID and Ozzy didn't, she said, maybe you are indestructible, and he (2:51) replied, must be all the devil worshipping. Last Rites also provides (2:55) plenty of hilarious anecdotes, mostly in the form of his reminiscing about his (2:59) lengthy career in the music world.
I won't spoil any of those stories, you're (3:03) just gonna have to read it yourself. At one point, he mentions the movie Spinal (3:07) Tap and which moments felt like they were written specifically about Black (3:11) Sabbath. In fact, so many Spinal Tap scenes were realistic enough that Ozzy (3:16) admits the first time he watched the movie, he didn't realize it was a comedy.
(3:20) He writes, pretty much every scene in Spinal Tap was just another day at work (3:24) for me. The book bounces between the struggles to launch the tour and Ozzy (3:30) thinking back on his life. It reads like a conversation with an older person who's (3:34) trying to tell one story, but keeps getting sidetracked with other stories he (3:38) just has to tell in that moment.
And I mean that in a good way. Reading Last (3:43) Rites is like having a conversation with a beloved grandparent. No matter how many (3:48) detours the tales take, you don't interrupt, because those detours are as (3:53) interesting as the main story.
Of course, Ozzy reflects on his time in Black (3:57) Sabbath, especially his friendship with drummer Bill Ward. He opted not to dwell (4:01) on his infamous firing from the band, instead focusing on funny stories of the (4:06) wild times he had with Sabbath during that decade-long run. He talks about (4:11) having made peace with being replaced by Ronnie James Dio, saying that Sabbath (4:15) moving on from Ozzy was, at that time, the best thing that could have happened (4:19) to him and the best thing to happen to his former bandmates.
Metal fans who know (4:24) their history won't be blown away by new facts about the Sabbath years. Instead, (4:29) they'll find value in Ozzy's reflections on his past and how he feels now with (4:34) the benefit of time and wisdom. But even when telling humorous stories, Ozzy (4:39) speaks candidly about the drug and alcohol addictions that caused so much (4:43) pain for him and those close to him.
m booze and drugs. In June of:
Yes, fans of rock and metal will love the wild stories (5:08) from this music icon, but Last Rites has a much more universal appeal. At its (5:13) core, this is a book about aging, coming to grips with one's own physical (5:18) limitations. The book's throughline is Ozzy's determination to perform live, (5:23) despite his continuous health setbacks.
This first-hand account of a man in his (5:28) 70s learning to accept that his days of carrying out his life's work, and in (5:34) fact his days themselves, are nearing their end, is both heartbreaking and (5:38) inspiring. Thanks for listening. Please rate, review, and subscribe so you can (5:46) keep getting music book recommendations.
And if you want your own copy of Last (5:50) Rites, click the bookshop link in the show notes. When you do, you'll be (5:54) supporting Loud Lit as well as independent booksellers. And once again, (5:58) search for The Noise Report in any podcast app and discover some new bands (6:03) and albums that you heavy metal fans can rock out to.
My name is Matt. Until next (6:08) time, keep reading, keep rocking. Rest in power, Ozzy Osbourne.
