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Not only did Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne put on one hell of a historic show Saturday for their final performance, they managed to pull off a humanitarian feat as well. Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello, who also acted as music director for the all-day event, originally claimed the Back to the Beginning show raised nearly $200 million in charity funds for three separate organizations. The final numbers have not been disclosed, however, Rolling Stone has learned.
Morello shared the good news on Instagram. “We set out to not just create the greatest day in the history of heavy metal,” Morello wrote in his caption. “We raised a ton of money for a great cause and so many great musicians and bands and fans all over the world paid tribute to the all time greats,” the musician added.
A reported 40,000 attendees descended upon Osbourne’s and Black Sabbath’s old stomping grounds of Birmingham, England, with 5.8 million people streaming the concert online, according to The Guardian. With every member of the star-studded lineup playing the festival pro bono, all proceeds went to charity. The BBC reported the organizations receiving the funds are Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and Acorn Children’s Hospice. Both Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne have supported Birmingham Children’s Hospital in the past; Cure Parkinson’s is a cause the pair hold close to their hearts after Ozzy’s 2019 diagnosis.
While the charities have yet to receive a breakdown of numbers, each organization has been notified of their good fortune and already on their way to praising the Prince of Darkness. Sheeba Ali, a fundraising manager at Birmingham Children’s Hospital’s charity, told the BBC, “It was a brilliant surprise, and we’re over the moon.”
This article has been updated and the headline was changed at 10:53 a.m. on July 9 to reflect that the final numbers raised for the charities have not yet been disclosed.
