Ozzy Osbourne finished new autobiography, Last Rites, ‘days before death’ says son

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An autobiography from legendary musician Ozzy Osbourne was finished just days before his death.

Last Rites, the follow-up to I Am Ozzy, is out now and was completed by the Black Sabbath frontman just days before his death. Jack Osbourne confirmed the Iron Man hitmaker was keen to write a follow-up to his autobiography following a series of health battles, tour reunions and more tales from life after The Osbournes TV show ended. Last Rites, which will be published by Grand Central Publishing, was finished just days before Ozzy Osbourne died. The veteran frontman had performed as part of Black Sabbath’s final show just weeks before he died, aged 76. The upcoming autobiography is said to contain stories from the last few years, with Jack Osbourne saying his father felt it “important” to write a follow-up to I Am Ozzy.

Speaking to MetalTalk, Jack said: “My father had been working on Last Rites for a very long time, chipping away at it over the last three or four years. He always felt he needed to do a follow-up to I Am Ozzy, because so much had happened in the 20 years since that book was released.

“From life after the TV show, to the Sabbath reunion, to releasing his last two albums, and finally his health issues. It was important to him to capture all of that.” Osbourne would go on to confirm his father completed the final chapter of the book just days before his death on July 25.

Jack continued: “It’s been a difficult time for everyone. For me, the last chapter is what I’ve reflected on the most. He finished it just a few days before he passed.” It comes as Jack also claimed his father was private about writing the autobiography, believing nobody would care about Last Rites.

He added: “He was the most humble egomaniac you could ever meet. He honestly didn’t think anyone would care about what he was writing in Last Rites. So when I asked him, he always downplayed it.”

Tributes for the Black Sabbath frontman poured in earlier this year, with many residents of Birmingham calling on Birmingham Airport to be renamed in Ozzy’s honour. A petition on Change.org is hoping the airport name will be changed as a way of celebrating “the legacy of Ozzy Osbourne and the incredible influence” the city has on some of music’s all-time greatest bands.

The Change.org post reads: “Ozzy Osbourne is the most important musician ever to hail from Birmingham. He rose to fame as the lead vocalist of the pioneering rock band Black Sabbath, which invented the genre of heavy metal. Ozzy’s influence on music and culture is undeniable. Naming our international airport after him would be a fitting tribute to his extraordinary career and contributions to the arts.

“Other airports in the UK are named after their famous children  (George Best International Airport in Belfast, John Lennon Airport in Liverpool), so it is only right that we do this here in Birmingham, in honour of Ozzy. Together, we can celebrate the legacy of Ozzy Osbourne and the incredible influence our city has had on the world stage, thanks to him.”