Ozzy Osbourne’s Final Concert Draws Massive Crowd, Raises Millions for Children’s Charities.
Legendary performer Ozzy Osbourne hosted his final concert on July 5th drawing a big crowd and stacked setlist. Music director and fellow musician Tom Morello curated performances from big names like Black Sabbath, Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, and Tool. The concert sold out at Villa Park, drawing a crowd of over 42,000 strong.
In a celebratory Instagram post, Tom Morello wrote about what he set out to accomplish.
"It was over a year of hard work but heavy metal was the music that made me love music and it was a labor of love. We raised a ton of money for a great cause and so many great musicians & bands & fans all over the world paid tribute to the ALL TIME greats."
In his post, Tom Morello announced, "'Back To The Beginning' more than 190 million will be donated to houses and hospitals for children."
The first of the three organizations receiving a donation is the Birmingham Children's Hospital’s Charity. According to the BBC, "The cash will be used to improve patients' and families' experiences in the hospital."
The second charity receiving proceeds from the concert is Cure Parkinson's. On their website, they claim "Cure Parkinson’s is the only organization in the UK solely dedicated to finding a cure for Parkinson’s, the fastest growing neurological condition in the world. All of our work goes towards finding ways to slow, stop or reverse the condition."
In an interview with the BBC, Andy Simions, the charity's director of fundraising and marketing, responded to the surprise donation by Osbourne.
"This is making an enormous difference, it already has, because you mentioning us in your publicity has enabled us as a charity to reach more people with Parkinson's around the country than we had before."
"All hail the prince of darkness!"
Last but not least, the final charity to receive a donation will be the Acorns Children's Hospice. CEO Trever Johnson told the BBC, "[This will enable us] to be there for more children and families." According to the BBC, he later added that demand for services had more than doubled in the past two years.