As Black Sabbath prepares to play its farewell show, the star-studded “Back to the Beginning” concert this Saturday, July 5, in their hometown of Birmingham, U.K., the band’s founding members were honored recently with a prestigious award by the city.
Frontman Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, and drummer Bill Ward were presented with the Freedom of the City scrolls and medals on Saturday, June 28, during a ceremony held in the Birmingham Council House. The rock legends received the award from Birmingham’s lord mayor, Zafar Iqbal. The Freedom of the City honor recognizes people who have contributed “exceptional service” to Birmingham. It’s one of the oldest traditional ceremonies in the U.K.
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According to a press release, Black Sabbath’s members are being recognized for their “significance to the cultural and musical identity of Birmingham, their strong association with the city and continued influence as pioneers of heavy metal.”
In conjunction with the honor, each band member was given the title of Honorary Freeman. In addition, an engraving with the rockers’ names on the Freedom of the City marble board was unveiled during the event.
The medal presented to the bandmates was created Toby Williams, a student studying at Birmingham City University’s School of Jewellery who won a competition. The medal’s design incorporated themes of industry and community, reflecting Birmingham’s residents.
Comments from Black Sabbath’s Members
Black Sabbath’s four founding members shared statements the honor.
“I first put an advert in a music store in town. If these guys hadn’t come to my door, I wouldn’t be sitting here now,” Osbourne reflected. “It seems to have flown by so quickly. It’s amazing. I think about my dad, who went into debt to buy me a microphone. If only he could be here now. I think he would be very proud. I’m a Brummie [Birmingham native] and I always will be a Brummie. Birmingham Forever!”
Iommi said, “It’s a great thing to receive. Birmingham is our home, and we love what Birmingham has done for us. … We’re very grateful.”
Butler noted, “This is a great working class city, and we’re all working class, from Aston [an area of inner Birmingham]. We weren’t given a chance when we started out, but Birmingham has always been behind us. People used to make fun of our accents, but we’re all proud Birmingham people and we love this city. It’s one of the greatest cities ever, it’s given the world so much and we’re proud to be here.”
Ward added, “It’s completely overwhelming. I’m so proud to be an Astonian. That’s where I got my attitude. It was a blessed—and cursed!—to meet Tony when I was 15, and I’m so proud that I got to know Geezer and Ozzy. They’re my brothers. I love them very much and we love our city very much.”
Comments from Birmingham Officials
In addition, some of the officials who took part in the ceremony issued statements about honoring Black Sabbath.
Lord Mayor Iqbal said, “The Freedom of the City is one of the oldest civic honours and given in recognition of exceptional service to Birmingham. Conferring these honours on Black Sabbath’s founding members, who are proud Brummies, is a fitting tribute to the band, marking their importance to Birmingham’s cultural landscape and the pride of our city as their hometown.”
Sharon Thompson, Deputy Leader of the Birmingham City Council, added, “From the streets of Aston to global success, the ceremony has been a fitting celebration of their achievements and connection to our city, showcasing the band’s incredible career as pioneers of heavy metal and recognising their continued legacy as part of Birmingham’s rich musical identity.”
More About the “Back to the Beginning” Concert
As previously reported, the “Back to the Beginning” concert will take place at the Villa Park soccer stadium in Birmingham. The sold-out, all-day event will feature what are expected to be Osbourne’s and Black Sabbath’s final performances.
Ozzy will play his own brief solo set with various musicians before joining the other Black Sabbath members for what will be the original lineup’s first performance since 2005. The show also will feature Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Slayer, Pantera, Alice in Chains, Lamb of God, Anthrax, Mastodon, Gojira, and Halestorm.
In addition, a bevy of special guests will hit the stage to celebrate the legacy of Osbourne and Black Sabbath. Among the other performers confirmed for the show are Sammy Hagar, Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello, The Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan, Disturbed’s David Draiman, Limp Bizkit’s Fred Durst, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, ex-Judas Priest guitarist KK Downing, Living Colour’s Vernon Reid, Faith No More drummer Mike Bordin, Zakk Wylde, Rudy Sarzo, and Jake E. Lee.
Morello is serving as the event’s music director. The concert will be hosted by actor Jason Momoa.
Proceeds raised by the concert will benefit a trio of charities. They are Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Acorn Children’s Hospice.
A pay-per-view livestream of the event also is available for purchase at BacktotheBeginning.com.
The livestream will begin at 3 p.m. local time (10 a.m. ET), with the full event available for viewing on a two-hour delay.
Livestream tickets are priced at $29.99. Purchasers will be able to watch the concert on demand until July 7 at 10 a.m. ET. A special bundle also is available for $65.99 featuring the livestream and an exclusive “Back to the Beginning” T-shirt.
(Photo by Michael Loccisano/FilmMagic)