Ozzy Osbourne was so determined to play at the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games he secretly flew over from LA to perform.
The Black Sabbath frontman made a surprise appearance in his hometown of Birmingham on Monday night.
Despite several years of bad health – which include a bad fall at home and a Parkinson's diagnosis - the 73-year-old defied the odds to get back on stage.
His bandmate Tony Iommi revealed Ozzy had another operation a few weeks ago to modify pins in his neck and spine following the fall.
Although he didn’t think Ozzy would be able to fly after the surgery, nothing was stopping the Prince of Darkness from celebrating all things Brummie.
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Somehow Ozzy managed to get into the UK undetected as it is not thought he arrived by private jet.
He went on to perform on stage with the help of a metal frame, which was used to keep him safely in position on a tiny, raised platform.
Speaking after the spectacular show, which saw Ozzy sing the 1970 classic Paranoid, Black Sabbath guitarist Tony said he never thought it would happen.
“That last operation was only a few weeks ago and doctors told Ozzy he couldn’t fly,” he told Birmingham Live.
“We’d been invited to perform at the Games a long time ago, but because of Ozzy’s condition I’d forgotten we’d even been asked.
“I ended up performing solo at the opening ceremony with other musicians who I’d never met before. Ozzy then got in touch with me to see if he could come and play at the closing ceremony.”
Tony said he didn’t think Ozzy would be able to do it because of his operation – but was then told he was coming over and everyone needed to keep it a secret.
The 74-year-old guitar legend continued: “I don’t know how Ozzy managed to get here from LA without anybody spotting him. I don’t think he came on a private jet.”
Reminiscing on their spectacular performance, he said: “It was really nice to be together again.
“When he went out to get into position, he [Ozzy] was hobbling. When he’d finished [Ozzy’s wife] Sharon said: ‘Look how he’s walking now... he’s walking OK back to the dressing room’. It had obviously done him good.”
Mid-song Ozzy asked the 30,000 strong audience to clap along and yelled: “I love you all Birmingham. It’s good to be back.”
As he ended the performance with fireworks soaring behind him, he shouted: “Birmingham forever!”
Artists including UB40 and Dexys Midnight Runners also played at the final send off to the Commonwealth Games, which featured a sequence from dance theatre show Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby.
Wolverhampton's Beverley Knight and Walsall's Jorja Smith were also part of the West Midlands line-up, which celebrated the musical heritage of the region over the years.
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