EXCLUSIVE: Frontman Ozzy Osbourne will end his performing days this weekend, then head to an event where he’ll pose with fans for big payday with family
Ozzy Osbourne super-fans will have to fork out more than £1,400 for the metal icon to sign a microphone or guitar at an upcoming event, and nearly £1,000 for a photograph with him.
The Black Sabbath frontman, 76, will perform for the final time on Saturday alongside his bandmates – Tony Iommi, 77, Geezer Butler, 75, and Bill Ward, 77 – at Villa Park, Aston, in a farewell heavy metal show called Back to the Beginning.
But a week later he will head 12 miles down road to Comic Con Midlands, at Birmingham’s NEC, where the Prince of Darkness and his family – wife and former X Factor judge Sharon Osbourne, 72, their daughter Kelly Osbourne, 40, and son Jack Osbourne, 39 – will meet and have photographs taken with die-hard fans on Saturday, July 12.
Supporters will have to spend £666 – often referred to as the number of the beast in heavy metal circles – for the top-tier Ultimate Sin VIP Package at Comic Con Midlands. For that, fans will receive a group professional photo opportunity with Ozzy, Sharon, Kelly and Jack – whose fame increased in 2002 thanks to their The Osbournes reality TV show – but it is limited to two people per photo. However, under-5s are not included in the restriction.
Ultimate Sin VIP package purchasers will also receive separate 8×10 signed photos of the quartet, and will be given the option to purchase a solo professional photo opportunity with Ozzy and the Paranoid singer’s autograph – if they pay more.
Anyone wanting Ozzy to sign their microphone or guitar will have to spend £750 for the privilege, meaning they will have spent £1,416 in total, including the Ultimate Sin VIP package.
And fans can have a professional photo with Ozzy – who is suffering from Parkinson’s disease – for £300, but they will have spent a total of £966 including the top-tier package.
The rock god will also sign an album, toy or poster for £375, or a book for £225 – for supporters with VIP package status – according to a Comic Con Midlands Facebook post. In response to the event’s pricing structure announcement, one Facebook user wrote: “Laughable prices, genuinely laughable”
Another posted: “Time to start selling me kidney” One posted: “Do we have to get VIP to meet Ozzy or can we meet him solo?” Comic Con Midlands replied: “You’ll need the VIP package.”
In contrast, Sex Pistols legend John Lydon – AKA Johnny Rotten – is charging a far more modest £90 for a pre-show meet and greet – including a photograph, autograph, and goody bag – on various dates of his I Could Be Wrong, I Could Be Right spoken word tour later this year.
At Comic Con Midlands, a photograph with American thrash metallers Scott Ian and Frank Bello from Anthrax – who will also be playing at Black Sabbath’s farewell show on Saturday – is priced at £110, and Slipknot fans will only have to pay £60 for a picture with the metal band’s turntablist Sid Wilson.
What’s more, a photograph with Ozzy’s wife Sharon is priced at £80, and snaps with Kelly or Jack are £60. Former Celebrity Big Brother star Sharon will also sign an autograph for £60, while Kelly and Jack’s signatures are £40 apiece.
On Saturday, original Sabbath members Ozzy, Tony, Geezer and Bill will be reunited at Back to the Beginning for the first time in 20 years.
Ozzy said: “It’s my final encore; it’s my chance to say thank you to my fans for always supporting me and being there for me.” Ozzy now has Parkinson’s disease and has struggled for ill health for a number of years and so is unable to play a full live show.
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