Sabbath day Birmingham heavy metal originals return to city for final farewell

He is considered to be the godfather of heavy metal, but after more than five decades in the game, the "prince of darkness", Ozzy Osbourne, brings his blistering performing career to an end with a highly anticipated final concert this weekend.

- Nadia Khomami

Thousands of metal fans will descend on Birmingham's Villa Park today to see the original Black Sabbath lineup reunite for the first time in 20 years, in what has been billed as the "greatest heavy metal show ever".

The stadium, home to Aston Villa FC, is a stone's throw from Osbourne's childhood terrace home in the suburb of Aston. It was there that the now 76-year-old launched his career, putting an advert for bandmates in a record shop and forming Black Sabbath with schoolfriend and guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist and lyricist Geezer Butler, and drummer Bill Ward.

"It's my final encore; it's my chance to say thank you to my fans for always supporting me and being there for me," Osbourne said this week. "I couldn't have done my final show anywhere else. I had to go back to the beginning."