Ozzy Osbourne's Tragic 'What If': The Album He Was Planning Before Death Cut Everything Short Revealed

Ozzy Osbourne continued to think like a working musician throughout his health struggles.

Until his last few months, the Black Sabbath lead singer was subtly exploring new music ideas, making drafts of what might have been another major statement in his late career if death hadn't interrupted the finishing of the work.

Osbourne passed away in July at the age of 76 after several years of health issues resulting from Parkinson's disease. It was only a few weeks after he reunited with his Black Sabbath bandmates for a huge concert in their hometown of Birmingham, England. The event, which was attended by tens of thousands of fans, is now considered his last performance a moment that went unnoticed by most, but was a full, circle ending.

The rockstar was still thinking about the future, according to Zakk Wylde, his longtime collaborator. He revealed that Osbourne was in touch with the idea of a new record and that he knew exactly how it should sound, OK! Magazine reports.

Wylde recalled that Osbourne was energized by the idea of returning to a more melodic heaviness.

"He was texting me: 'Zakk, let's do another record. Because I really loved it when you were going through your Allman Brothers, Skynyrd phase when we did No More Tears — it's heavy but it's more melodic, it's not pummeling heavy,'" Wylde said. His response was simple: "So I said: 'Alright Oz, whatever you want.'"

A Creative Spark That Never Became a Session

Those conversations never made it as far as a studio booking. Instead of starting a new recording cycle, Osbourne turned his attention to finishing the projects already on his plate. In his final year, he completed his autobiography, Last Rites, and participated in a BBC documentary that revisited his career, controversies and personal battles.

Wylde said Osbourne seemed methodical about closing those chapters.

"We did the show, he ended up finishing his book, they did the documentary, and then he was like: 'All right, I'm out of here,'" he said. "He finished everything he had to do and then he was like: 'All right, I'm done.'"

Sources close to the Osbourne camp have described the unrealized album as a lingering ache for fans, many of whom believed the Birmingham show would be a farewell, but not necessarily the final word.

One source said, "People are crushed knowing there was new music taking shape in Ozzy's head," adding that it feels like listeners were denied "what could have been a final statement from one of rock's most distinctive voices."

Even Wylde admitted that, at the time, he didn't recognize the weight of those final moments onstage. Reflecting on the reunion, he said Osbourne simply powered through. "Just the fact that he willed himself to do that thing," Wylde said. "Whatever things that we've run into, any obstacles or whatever, it's always just a speed bump and we'll get through it."

Legacy, Loss and a New Controversy

Osbourne's death has also reignited old debates about his legacy, particularly after Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters doubled down on his own controversial remarks about the singer in a recent interview with Piers Morgan, as reported by American Songwriter.

Waters, who drew backlash last year for dismissive comments about Black Sabbath shortly after Osbourne's death, said he stood by what he said. "Those comments — I'm not denying that I said them — came in the middle of a long interview," Waters explained. "Do I have to like every rock group there ever was in the world or people who bite the heads off bats?"

While Waters said he would "of course" apologize if his remarks caused pain to the Osbourne family, he was blunt about his personal views. "I was honest. I said I didn't like Black Sabbath," he said, later adding, "I don't like people who bite the heads off bats. I just don't. I think it's disgusting."

Asked directly whether he regretted his comments, Waters replied, "I regret nothing in life," before pivoting to broader political frustrations and saying he was "not that interested" in the Osbourne family.

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Ozzy Osbourne, Zakk Wylde