Legendary rock icon Ozzy Osbourne—still revered as the “Prince of Darkness”—has announced a new memoir, Last Rites, scheduled for release on October 7, 2025 via Grand Central Publishing. The book promises a raw, unfiltered look at the past seven years of the rocker’s tumultuous life.
At 76, Osbourne has undergone a harrowing personal odyssey: from his 2020 Parkinson’s diagnosis and crippling spinal injuries to his declared retirement as a solo performer. Despite these challenges, he recently made history by headlining Black Sabbath’s farewell concert in Birmingham on July 5, 2025, performing from a throne due to mobility limitations—and closing the night with a special reunion alongside bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward.
Last Rites is billed as Ozzy’s final memoir, following 2009’s I Am Ozzy. It delves deeply into:
Devastating health battles and his descent into near-paralysis
His marriage—and sometimes stormy partnership—with wife-manager Sharon Osbourne
Intimate anecdotes involving rock legends: Slash, Bon Scott, John Bonham, Keith Moon, and Lemmy Kilmister
A behind-the-scenes look at Back to the Beginning, Black Sabbath’s monumental farewell concert raising millions for charitable causes
In signature defiance, Osbourne reflects:
“People say to me, if you could do it all again…would you change anything? I’m f*** no…If I’d done normal, sensible things, I wouldn’t be Ozzy…Look, if it ends tomorrow, I can’t complain.”
This gut-honest declaration—equal parts defiant, vulnerable, and irreverent—sets the tone for what appears to be a powerful farewell memoir, offering both fans and readers a vivid portrait of Osbourne’s battles, triumphs, regrets, and the humor that has defined him. Whether Last Rites serves as a final curtain call or the opening of a different chapter, Ozzy’s voice is unmistakably alive and unapologetically himself.
