‘It’s like shedding a brother’

Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi has stated the lack of his bandmate Ozzy Osbourne is “like losing a brother”.

The pair, who met in school in Aston, Birmingham, earlier than being catapulted into the limelight with Black Sabbath and forging the heavy metallic style, had been finest mates for 57 years.

Osbourne’s household introduced his loss of life on Tuesday, only a few weeks after performing for the final time with Black Sabbath for his or her farewell present at Birmingham’s Villa Park.

“It’s been difficult, because it’s just a shock really. I haven’t been able to get myself organised properly since hearing this. It’s been really strange,” Iommi stated.

He added that Sabbath bandmate Geezer Butler had expressed an analogous feeling when the pair spoke following Osbourne’s loss of life.

“He’s much the same, just can’t pull yourself together. It really has affected us bad,” he stated.

“I find it difficult at the moment to really accept that. I still think he’s there, I still go to text him and stuff – [but] he’s not there any more.”

The pair had been rehearsing collectively simply two weeks in the past for the band’s farewell gig for charity.

“We’d rehearse and then Ozzy came down – but we didn’t want to do too much with Oz because he was under a lot of pressure,” Iommi stated.

“And he really wanted to do it, but at the same time we didn’t want to push him into ‘let’s do that again’.

“But I’m glad we did it, and I’m glad we did it for Oz as a result of it actually did encourage him.”

Iommi said the gig gave his friend renewed direction in recent years and “one thing to work in direction of”.

“It was actually price doing for all of us, for the band to be collectively on our closing factor, not figuring out Ozzy was gonna cross away shortly afterwards, however simply to get collectively once more as a result of we have been attempting to get the unique 4 again for years.”

The pair would often speak on the phone over the years, but Iommi laughed: “What Ozzy and I speak about – ‘I’ve had this ache in my facet, oh my arm’s enjoying up, oh my foot’. It’s been certainly one of them. We all the time begin off like that.

“Then ‘what’s the weather like there?'”

Since Osbourne’s passing, Birmingham has been flooded with followers desirous to pay tribute to the heavy metallic legend.

Hundreds have flocked to websites such because the Black Sabbath bridge, the not too long ago painted mural of the band on Navigation Street, and Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery the place an official e book of condolence has been positioned.

Many within the metropolis have requested what could be a becoming tribute to the person who has secured his place in music historical past, whereas all the time remaining pleased with his roots and his beloved Birmingham.

Some have known as for a statue and others an annual day of remembrance.

Iommi stated maybe a statue was applicable, but additionally believed there needs to be a statue of the total band.

“We’ve all been a team and we’re gonna go at some point,” he stated.

“I think he’d be happy that everybody remembers him and everybody loves him and everybody’s come out like they have.”