In 1992, Ozzy Osbourne threw himself the absolute
biggest, most emotionally charged retirement
party in the history of rock and roll. Yeah,
an incredibly exhausting tour. The only problem,
though, he didn't actually need to retire at
all. No, he really didn't. Welcome in. We know
you're here because you want to get straight
to the good stuff, the incredible stories, and
the real historical context without drowning
in a sea of information overload. Right, we're
cutting through the noise. Exactly. So today,
we're taking a deep dive into a piece of music
history that feels, honestly, almost too bizarre
to be real. It really does. It occupies this
very strange, almost mythological space in heavy
metal history. It does. And every single detail
we are unpacking today comes directly from the
documented records on Wikipedia of Ozzy's legendary
No More Tours tour. The dates, the set lists,
the wild background behind all of it. Yep, it's
all there. And our mission for this deep dive
is to explore how one single profound mistake
ended up creating an iconic farewell tour. A
mistake with massive ripple effects. Huge. A
mistake that resulted in a legendary band reunion,
a permanently altered lineup for another massive
90s rock band, and, incredibly, the lifting of
a notorious 10 -year city band. Because when
you strip it down to its core, you realize this
wasn't just a series of concerts. Right. Okay,
let's unpack this. The year is 1992. Ozzy announces
the No More Tours Tour, which, by the way, the
title itself is just a brilliant punny statement
of intent. No more tours. Playing on no more
tiers. It's great. Exactly. But this was officially
meant to be the absolute end of the road. Yeah.
The reasoning given to the press at the time
was that he was finally stepping away from that
grueling touring lifestyle, you know, just to
be with his family. Which makes total sense.
It's the classic universally understood narrative
for an aging rock star. Yeah. You put your decades
in the trenches. You build your legacy and then
you bow out to focus on your personal life. Right.
But the reality behind that press release was
significantly heavier. Much heavier. The actual
reason he was pulling the plug on his live career
was because he had received a diagnosis of multiple
sclerosis. Yeah. And when you think about what
multiple sclerosis actually does to the human
body. Affecting the central nervous system. Exactly.
Causing extreme fatigue, muscle weakness, a loss
of coordination. You completely understand the
immediate decision to retire. Oh, without a doubt.
You cannot be the Prince of Darkness, running
around an arena stage, headbanging, and projecting
over a wall of amplifiers for two minutes. hours
a night with a degenerative neurological condition
you really can't yeah so you can imagine this
dark cloud just hanging over the entire planning
of the tour What's fascinating here is the sheer
scale of the logistical and emotional momentum
built on top of what turned out to be a massive
medical error. Wait, I want to make sure we highlight
that for you listening, because it is the wildest
twist of this entire timeline. It really is.
The diagnosis was entirely incorrect. Completely
wrong. He did not have multiple sclerosis. No,
he didn't. But they didn't know that initially.
So I want you to really think about the psychological
weight of this tour for Ozzy, for his band, and
for the fans. Yeah, you're saying goodbye to
the life you've known since the late 60s. Exactly.
You meticulously plan and execute this massive
64 show North American tour. 64 shows. 64 nights
of high octane heavy metal driven by this really
profound, tragic finality. Wow. Every single
time he stepped on stage, the audience thought
they were watching a dying man's final lap. And
then the realization hits that it was all just
a false alarm. Yeah. It is just impossible to.
comprehend the emotional whiplash of that. Truly.
You go through this agonizing process of mourning
your own career. You throw this gargantuan farewell
lap and then boom, you get a clean bill of health.
And the chronology of what happens next is so
perfectly on brand for him. It really is. Following
this emotionally exhausting farewell tour, Ozzy
just changes his mind. Yep. He decides to keep
going. And the very next tour he launches in
1995 is hilariously titled The Retirement Sucks
Tour. It completely undercuts the solemnity of
that 1992 run. Completely. But you have to appreciate
the self -awareness there. Oh, absolutely. But
because everyone involved in 92 truly believed
it was the end, the scale of the production was
monumental. They treated it like a heavy metal
festival on wheels. They really did. Especially
when you look at the supporting acts they brought
along. Oh, yeah. The roster of opening acts is
just a perfect time capsule of early 90s hard
rock. On the earlier legs of the tour, the opening
slot featured this massive rotating combination
of bands. You had Slaughter, Ugly Kid Joe, Faster
Pussycat, and the legendary Motorhead. It's a
very specific, sleazy, high -energy brand of
rock and roll. It is. Here's where it gets really
interesting, though. Okay. As the tour rolls
into the fall... The opening act shifts and Alice
in Chains takes over. Man, that shift right there
is a microcosm of the entire music industry in
1992. Seriously, you have the older guard of
80s hard rock transitioning out. And the sludgy,
darker Seattle grunge scene taking over. Exactly.
Having Alice in Chains support the godfather
of heavy metal is a massive passing of the torch.
It is. But the connection forged on this tour
goes far beyond simply sharing a catering den.
It fundamentally altered the trajectory of 90s
rock. Yeah, it did. So holding down the bass
for Ozzy on this tour is a phenomenal musician
named Mike Inez. Incredible player. Right. And
while they're traveling across North America
on this fall leg, Inez naturally starts hanging
out with the guys in Alice in Chains. Because
they're on the road together every day. Exactly.
And they hit it off so well that after this No
More Tours run, Mike Inez actually defects. Just
jumps ship. He permanently leaves Ozzy's camp
to join Alice in Chains for their massive dirt
tour. If we connect this to the bigger picture,
it drastically reframes how we should view the
No More Tours era. How so? Well, this wasn't
just a fake retirement lap for one guy. It acted
as an unintended incubator for rock history.
Oh, wow. Because of a botched medical diagnosis,
a tour was booked. Because the tour was booked,
Alice in Chains was brought on as an opener.
Okay, I see where you're going. And because they
were the opener, they found the permanent bassist
who would help define their sludgy, heavy sound
for decades to come. A 1992 heavy metal farewell
tour essentially finalized the lineup of one
of the greatest bands of the grunge era. It's
the ultimate butterfly effect. It really is.
But that's only one piece of rock history that
got resolved on this run. We have to talk about
the October 1st show. Oh, the San Antonio show.
Yes, because for a guy with a reputation for
absolute chaos, returning to San Antonio, Texas
was a very big deal. When you look at the tour
itinerary, October 1st, 1992 at the Freeman Coliseum
stands out. Definitely. For most of the country,
it was just another arena date. But for Ozzy?
It was his first time setting foot on a stage
in that city since 1982. Because he had been
officially banned from performing in San Antonio
for an entire decade. An entire decade. And the
reason for this ban is quite literally the stuff
of rock and roll infamy. It is legendary. Back
in 82, Ozzy was arrested for public intoxication
after urinating on the Alamo Cenotef. And for
anyone who might not grasp the gravity of that.
It's a huge deal. The Cenotaph is a deeply respected
monument commemorating the Battle of the Alamo.
Right. It is highly sacred historical ground
in Texas. So the city officials responding with
a 10 year ban was swift and definitive. Just
imagine the surreal nature of this scenario for
a second. OK. You think you are facing a severe
physical decline. So. You book one last lap around
the country to make peace and say goodbye to
the fans. Right. And part of that grand emotional
redemption arc involves having to return to the
city that banished you because you drunkenly
peed on their most sacred historical monument.
The juxtaposition of a solemn farewell tour and
a public urination pardon is just incredible.
It's hilarious. But he plays at Freeman Coliseum.
The band is finally lifted, and he closes out
one of the most embarrassing chapters of his
life. It perfectly highlights the dual nature
of his entire career, doesn't it? Oh, totally.
He is simultaneously this revered... Elder statesman
of a genre he helped create. And the exact same
reckless guy who caused international outrage.
Both of those identities had to share the stage
that night in Texas. They really did. And speaking
of the stage, the way he decided to close out
this tour is arguably the most ambitious finale
in heavy metal history. Without a doubt. The
final two shows took place on November 14th and
15th, 1992. Out at the Pacific Amphitheater in
Costa Mesa, California. Yes. And the opening
acts for these last two shows are just mind blowing.
Unbelievable lineup. First up, you have the incredible
Brazilian metal band Sepultura. Who were bringing
a level of aggressive thrash that was totally
reshaping the underground at the time. Absolutely
crushing it. But the second opener. Yeah. was
Black Sabbath. And we need to be very specific
about this version of Black Sabbath because it
is an absolute fever dream for a metal fan. Tell
them who was singing. This was Black Sabbath
featuring Rob Halford from Judas Priest on vocals.
Which is just staggering to think about. It is.
You have the instrumental architects of heavy
metal. Yeah. Fronted by the operatic voice of
Judas Priest. Serving as the opening act for
the original singer of Black Sabbath on his supposed
final night on Earth as a performer. It is an
unbelievable gathering of talent. But the way
they orchestrated the very end of the night on
November 15th is what elevates this from a great
concert to a true historical event. Yeah, paint
the picture for us. Okay, so Ozzy finishes his
solo set. The crowd is going wild, fully believing
they have just witnessed. the last notes he will
ever sing live. Right. The lights go down. And
then right after his set, the original lineup
of Black Sabbath reunites live on stage. Wow.
Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and
Bill Ward standing together for the first time
in years. That's just magic. They play a four
-song set to close out the night. What a way
to go out. The original four guys who invented
the genre in a gloomy factory town in England
closing out a massive California amphitheater.
This raises an important question about how artists
attempt to curate their ultimate legacy. How
do you mean? Well, put yourself in his shoes
at that exact moment. As far as he knows, this
is his final statement. Right. And instead of
making it all about his massive solo success,
he uses that moment to bring his entire career
full circle. He reconnects with the roots of
the music. Exactly. It is a profoundly poignant
way to end a career, which, again, makes the
fact that he was back on the road three years
later highly amusing. Totally. But it doesn't
diminish the emotional weight of that night in
Costa Mesa. Not at all. And I really want to
spend some time digging into the actual music
they were playing night after night on this run.
Oh, we have to. Looking at the set list and the
personnel that executed it gives us a brilliant
snapshot of what a 1992 arena rock show felt
like. The curation of the set list is actually
quite aggressive. It really is. It balances his
solo material with his Sabbath roots, but the
pacing is completely relentless. Right out of
the gate, the typical set list shows they open
the concert with a cover of Black Sabbath's Paranoid.
Think about the sheer audacity of that. Right.
For most bands, Paranoid is the ultimate encore.
It is the definitive heavy metal anthem. You
save it for the very end to leave the crowd completely
drained. But Ozzy walked out and blasted them
with it on song number one. Insane. From there,
he launches straight into a barrage of solo hits.
I don't want to change the world, desire, and
the haunting classic, Mr. Crowley. What stands
out when you look at the structure of the show
is how much dedicated space was given to showcase
the virtuosos in his backing band. Oh, yeah.
Ozzy's solo career has always been defined by
the incredible musicians he surrounds himself
with. Always. And this 1992 lineup was absolutely
lethal. You had Zach Wilde on guitar. Zach Wilde
in 1992 was a force of nature. Unstoppable. The
aggressive pinch harmonics, the wide vibrato,
just a monster player. Yeah. And according to
the set list. right after playing Flying High.
Again, the rest of the band stepped back, and
Zach Wild got his own dedicated extended guitar
solo. He just got to command the arena and shred.
And the rhythm section was given the exact same
treatment. Right. We already talked about Mikey
Nez holding down the low end on bass before his
departure to Alice in Chains. Yep. But on drums,
you had Randy Castillo. A legend. The stamina
required to play heavy metal drums for two hours
is immense. And yet, right in the middle of Miracleman,
Randy Castillo was given a massive feature drum
solo. Just showing off. Pretty much. Throw in
Johnson Clear rounding out the sound on keyboards
to give those songs their atmospheric dread,
and you have a highly polished, incredibly tight
live operation. And the back half of the set
list just does not let up. No, it doesn't. After
those solos, they go into Suicide Solution, Goodbye
to Romance, Shot in the Dark, and the epic, sprawling
No More Tears. A masterpiece. And then we reach
the encore. Imagine standing in the crowd, completely
exhausted, thinking this is the last time you'll
ever see him. Yeah. They come back out and hit
you with Black Sabbath's war pigs. Unbelievable.
Then bark at the moon. Then the emotional get
punch of the ballot. Mama, I'm coming home. And
the final song of the typical setlist. Crazy
Train. It is a masterclass in arena pacing. When
you look at the sheer firepower of that setlist,
it perfectly encapsulates why the idea of him
retiring was such a massive shock to the system.
Yeah, he wasn't a fading legacy act phoning it
in. Not at all. He was at the absolute peak of
his powers as a live entertainer, delivering
a sequence of anthems that most artists couldn't
even dream of compiling. Which brings us back
to the... reality of the situation he wasn't
at the end of his road at all far from it he
had so much more music so many more world tours
a wildly successful festival in oz fest and a
reality television empire still ahead of him
yeah an entire second act of his life so what
does this all mean for you Good question. When
we look at the entire scope of the 1992 No More
Tours tour, I think the biggest takeaway is about
the unexpected power of false alarms. That's
the real core of this story. Yeah. The central
premise of this entire historical event was based
on a fundamental flaw. The bad diagnosis. Right.
A bad medical diagnosis led to a premature decision
to end a legendary career. Yep. But because of
that flaw, an incredible chain reaction occurred
that reshaped the music landscape. It is a great
reminder that sometimes... The things in our
lives that we think are definite endings or the
massive life shifts that feel like the permanent
closing of a door are actually just catalysts
for entirely new, amazing chapters. Absolutely.
This fake retirement accidentally gifted Alice
in Chains the bass player they needed to conquer
the 90s. It provided the exact right context
for Ozzy to finally return to San Antonio and
settle a 10 -year -old public urination grudge.
Exactly. And it resulted in a legendary Black
Sabbath reunion that might never have happened
if Ozzy He hadn't fully believed he was saying
goodbye to the stage forever. The historical
significance of this tour is undeniable. It really
is. But before we wrap up this deep dive, there's
one final lingering mystery buried in the source
material that I think is worth pointing out.
Oh, yeah. This is good. If you look closely at
the meticulously documented tour dates, there's
a massive anomaly right in the middle of the
schedule. The dead zone. Yes. This is such a
bizarre detail. It really is. The tour dates
show that Ozzy played a show on the 4th of July
in Charlevoix, Michigan. Okay. But immediately
following that performance, there is a massive
block of officially canceled shows. Just five
out. Every single date from July. 12th through
july 30th is simply crossed out and we are talking
about major markets here saratoga springs montreal
toronto philadelphia allentown huge venues all
just suddenly struck from the record the tour
doesn't officially pick back up until mid -august
down in miami and here is the provocative thought
i want to leave you with let's hear it the comprehensive
documentation we have provides absolutely no
explanation for this not at all There is no footnote,
no cited reason for why an entire six -week block
in the dead center of the summer was suddenly
wiped off the map. On a tour that was supposedly
a carefully orchestrated final lap, what exactly
happened during that mysterious dead zone? It's
a fascinating blank spot in an otherwise heavily
documented piece of history. and something for
you to mull over. It's the perfect rock and roll
mystery to end on. It really is. Thank you so
much for joining us on this deep dive. We hope
we helped you uncover the hidden gems, the musical
ripples, and the wild truths behind one of the
most famous fake retirements in music history.
Keep asking questions. Keep looking for the stories
behind the stories and stay curious.