Just days after his emotional farewell show in Birmingham, Ozzy Osbourne could soon be back on stage — in hologram form.
The legendary Black Sabbath frontman, 76, performed his final concert last Saturday at Villa Park, not far from his childhood home. Sitting throughout most of the set due to his battle with Parkinson’s, Ozzy powered through a solo performance of five classic hits, including “Mr Crowley” and “Crazy Train.” He then reunited with original Sabbath bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward for a historic encore featuring “War Pigs”, “Iron Man” and “Paranoid.”
But fans might not have seen the last of the Prince of Darkness. Black Sabbath filed documents two decades ago to trademark their name in virtual reality, paving the way for a potential comeback via holograms. This strategy mirrors ABBA’s hugely successful “Voyage” concert in London, which uses avatars to recreate the band’s younger selves on stage.
Ozzy’s wife Sharon hinted at such a possibility back in April, saying: “Sure I would, yeah. Technology keeps moving on and on. You never know what the opportunities are.”
And the timing couldn’t be better. According to a close friend, Ozzy is already planning a new album — proving the rock icon isn’t ready to fade quietly into the shadows.
Other major acts are also going digital. KISS has announced virtual replacements for live tours, while the estates of George Michael, Freddie Mercury and Tina Turner are also working on holographic legacy projects. Even Oasis has filed trademarks for a virtual comeback, with Noel Gallagher saying he’d consider a hologram reunion: “Come up with a figure and I’ll say yes or no.”
Though Queen’s Brian May isn’t on board just yet — saying he prefers performing live — fans are left wondering: is Ozzy’s farewell really goodbye?
