Sharon Osbourne Critiques Inaccurate Claims Regarding Her Husband’s Concert Earnings

On July 5, a spectacular and star-studded event titled ‘Back to the Beginning’ was held at Villa Park in Aston, Birmingham, England. The legendary Ozzy Osbourne performed not only solo but also alongside the original lineup of Black Sabbath. While this concert was meant to serve as a farewell for Ozzy, who has faced significant health challenges due to Parkinson’s disease, it ultimately became his final performance. Tragically, Ozzy passed away just 17 days later, on July 22.

Just five days before her husband’s passing, Sharon Osbourne spoke with Pollstar. During the interview, she expressed her concerns about the misleading reporting surrounding the funds raised from this landmark concert. It had been announced that all proceeds from the event, including the accompanying live stream, would be donated to several charities, namely Acorns Children's Hospice, Birmingham Children's Hospital, and Cure Parkinson’s.

Billboard reported that the concert generated over $190 million (approximately £140 million), but noted that “it remains unclear what the final donation amounts for each charity will be.” Similarly, Rolling Stone mentioned that nearly $200 million was raised, yet they also pointed out that the “final figures have not been disclosed.”

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In her July conversation with Pollstar, Sharon highlighted that the financial figures were still being finalized.

“I’m really pleased we’re having this discussion,” she said, “because one of my biggest concerns is the spread of false information about [how] the earnings from the concert, with claims like we made $140 million and more. I’m just thinking, ‘Wow, I wish we could have achieved that with just one concert.’ It’s absurd how these different figures circulate. The next morning, I browsed the internet and saw estimates ranging from $140 million to $160 million. I was astounded—where do these numbers originate? It’s frustrating when reputable sources like Billboard publish them.

“Determining the final amount takes considerable time, especially with all the expenses incurred by the many bands involved. It will likely take around six weeks before we have a total figure. Plus, we will be selling merchandise for an additional two weeks post-gig, which means we need to account for another two weeks of sales. It’s a lengthy process, but we will eventually get there.”

Despite the confusion, Sharon shared her satisfaction with the event’s overall execution.

“It was an immense success, as the event was truly phenomenal,” she said. “This was the first time anyone has retired in such a grand fashion, with a show streamed live to support charity. It marks a groundbreaking moment where someone bids farewell after a long career. I never wanted Ozzy to fade away without a grand event to celebrate his legacy. Returning to where it all began, to his cherished stadium supporting [home to] his beloved Aston Villa [soccer] team, was simply perfect. It was an ideal culmination of everything, a perfect storm, to put it that way.”