‘I Think I Made a Mark on the World’

Ozzy Osbourne summed up his career neatly in a posthumous memoir by saying, “I think I made a mark on the world.”

The Black Sabbath icon died on July 22 at age 76, less than three weeks after his Back to the Beginning farewell concert in Birmingham, England. He’d been fighting health issues for years.

Osbourne reflects on his final years in Last Rites, which comes out on Tuesday. In an excerpt published by The Times, he shared his thoughts on the Back to the Beginning concert and nearly 60 years as a rock star.

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What Does Ozzy Osbourne Say About Death in ‘Last Rites’ Memoir?

“Death’s been knocking at my door for the last six years, louder and louder,” Osbourne wrote. “And at some point I’m gonna have to let him in. The funny thing is, I used to worry more about my mortality when I was younger.

“It’s weird. You get closer to the end — the very thing you were scared of your whole life — and suddenly the weight’s lifted off you. Not that I’m ready to go. But I’ve had a good run. I think I made a mark on the world. And I’m glad I didn’t check out early, like so many others.”

He added: “When the end does come, I don’t want to be cremated. It’s like you were never here. You’re just a bag of dust. That’s not for me. I wanna make the flowers grow.”

Osbourne also said his family didn’t like him talking about death. “The only conversation I’ve had with Sharon was when we decided we wanted to be buried together,” he wrote. “I’ve also said to Sharon, ‘Don’t you dare go before me!’ It’s my biggest fear now, Sharon leaving this world before I do. If she does, I won’t be too far behind.”

Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne Didn’t Have a Suicide Pact

Osbourne also dismissed the rumor that he and Sharon had made a suicide pact. “[T]hat’s bullshit,” he said. “We just don’t want some drawn-out end on a breathing tube. I’ve said to Sharon, ‘If that happens to me, please… turn me off. Or fly me to Switzerland, give me one final sip of the jolly juice and send me out like a Viking.’”

The Prince of Darkness said he’d been asked about what happens after death. “I say to ’em, ‘I’ve no idea, but it won’t be long now, so if you hang around a bit, maybe I can haunt you and give you the answer,’” he quipped.

Referring to a joke made famous by British comedian Spike Milligan, Osbourne added: “As for what I want on my tombstone, that’s one of the subjects my family definitely won’t let me discuss. Between you and me, though, I’m thinking something short and sweet. ‘I told you I wasn’t feeling well’ should do the trick.”