Last Rites Review: Ozzy Osbourne’s Quietest, Most Honest Book
When you pick up a book by Ozzy Osbourne, you kind of brace yourself. I expect some chaos. Some wild stories. That sense that he somehow survived things that most people don't. This isn’t that book.
Last Rites reads like Ozzy has finally stopped performing—even on the page.
It’s reflective, sometimes uncomfortable, and occasionally a little sad. But never fake.
"right now, I ain’t ready to go anywhere. I’ve lost a lot of things, but I’ve still got my marbles… or whatever marbles I ever had. It’s good being alive. I like it. I want to be here with my family. And more than anything else in the world, I’m just happy I made it back to where it all started – Aston, Birmingham."
-Ozzy Osbourne
Why should you care about Ozzy Osbourne?
A little background if you don't already know:
As lead singer of Black Sabbath, their darker, heavier rock sound is widely credited with being the foundation for heavy metal in the late 1960's.
By 1979, Osbourne had been fired due to substance abuse issues. He later launched a successful solo career including iconic songs like Crazy Train despite a long struggle with addiction. Fueled by his onstage moments, headlines, and recording success, he has sold more than 100 million records. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice—with Black Sabbath in 2006 and as a solo artist in 2024.
In the 90s, he co-founded Ozzfest, a festival that helped revive metal and help launch the careers of Slipknot, Korn, and System of a Down. In the 2000s, Osbourne reached a new audience with the reality TV show The Osbournes, which revealed a surprisingly candid and humorous look at his family.
Osbourne died at age 76 in July 2025.
Ozzy Osbourne's memoir, Last Rites was released in October 2025.
The Tone is the Biggest Surprise Here
If you’ve read Ozzy’s earlier books, this one will throw you at first.
Those were wild. Funny. Borderline unbelievable. Last Rites feels slower. Like someone talking because they want to say it while they still can, not because they need to entertain you.
There’s still humor, but it shows up when you don’t expect it. And it’s quieter. More self-aware.
Ozzy isn’t trying to convince you he mattered. He knows he did.
"People say to me, if you could do it all again, knowing what you know now, would you change anything? I’m like, f** no. If I'd been clean and sober, I wouldn't be Ozzy. If I'd done normal, sensible things, I wouldn't be Ozzy."
-Ozzy Osbourne
Aging, Parkinson’s, and Losing Control
A big part of this book is about Ozzy’s health, and he doesn’t dress it up.
He talks about Parkinson’s, chronic pain, and the frustration of not trusting his own body anymore. There’s no inspirational spin here. No “stay positive” messaging. Just honesty.
Reading it in your 40s (or later) hits differently. This isn’t really a rock star story at this point—it’s a human one.
About what happens when the thing that defined you is no longer available.
Those sections lingered with me the most.
"I'd hit rock bottom a few times in my life, but always from booze and drugs. In June of 2022, I hit rock bottom from spinal surgery and Parkinson’s."
-Ozzy Osbourne
Sharon and the People Who Stayed
Sharon Osbourne is everywhere in this book, and for good reason.
Ozzy doesn’t romanticize their relationship. He’s clear about how difficult he was to live with, how many times he made things worse instead of better. But he’s also clear about one thing: without Sharon, he probably wouldn’t be here.
There’s a lot of gratitude in these pages. Some regret, too.
"I’d be dead without Sharon – of that, I’m absolutely, 100 per cent fucking sure."
-Ozzy Osbourne
Legacy Without the Myth-Making
If you’re hoping for deep dives into Black Sabbath albums or behind-the-scenes studio stories, that’s not what Last Rites is interested in.
Ozzy talks about Sabbath, about metal, about being “the Prince of Darkness,” but more in passing. Almost like he’s observing it from the outside now.
There’s an interesting detachment here. Like he’s made peace with the idea that his story isn’t his to control anymore—and maybe never really was.
That stood out to me.
"It’s funny, people think ’cos I’m the Prince of Darkness, I must only listen to organ music while hanging upside down from the ceiling or something. But I love all kinds of music, me. When I was growing up, I was crazy about The Beatles."
-Ozzy Osbourne
Yes, It’s Still Funny Sometimes
Even with all the heavier stuff, Ozzy still sneaks in jokes.
They’re blunt. Sometimes awkward. Occasionally you laugh and then feel weird for laughing because of what came before. But that’s always been part of his charm.
The humor keeps the book from sinking into self-pity. It reminds you that this is still the same guy—just older, slower, and more honest than before.
"But the most mind-blowing thing I did before the flu kicked me in the bollocks was go over to DreamWorks in Glendale to record the voice of King Thrash for Trolls World Tour. I mean, okay, it didn’t exactly take Daniel Day-Lewis to read the couple of lines they gave me. But the fact a Hollywood studio wanted to cast me in this blockbuster family movie was hard to wrap my head around."
-Ozzy Osbourne
Who This Book Is (and Isn’t) For
This is a good read if you:
- Have followed Ozzy or Black Sabbath for years
- Like rock memoirs
- Are interested in aging, legacy, and reflection
- Want honesty more than wild stories
If you want outrageous backstage chaos, this probably isn’t the one. Read Ozzy's other books; I Am Ozzy or Trust Me, I’m Dr. Ozzy: Advice from Rock’s Ultimate Survivor.
If you want something more grounded, it’s worth your time.
"The truth is, although Sabbath always had a dark vibe, the song ‘Black Sabbath’ was basically the only full-on ‘scary music’ thing we ever did. I mean, go and listen to ‘Changes’, a soulful piano ballad about a marriage falling apart, or ‘Supernaut’, with that awesome funk-rock rhythm break, or the trippy ‘Planet Caravan."
-Ozzy Osbourne
Final Thoughts
Last Rites feels like Ozzy Osbourne sitting down and saying what he wants to say without worrying how it lands.
It’s not dramatic. It’s not polished. But it's honest. I really enjoyed all the tidbits reflecting on the family's time on reality TV and musicians he came across from Lemmy to Post Malone.
Last Rites feels like Ozzy Osbourne finally speaking without the noise around him. There’s no need to shock, no need to entertain, no need to prove anything. What’s left is a man looking back honestly—at the damage, the love, the luck, and the fact that he’s still here at all.
It’s thoughtful. It’s human. And it stays with you longer than you expect.
Rating: 4 out of 5