Despite his fear of flying, there was a particular moment that convinced Travis Barker to fly to England for Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath’s final show last year.
Following the plane accident he survived in 2008, Barker went 13 years without flying until he got on a plane in 2021 with his wife Kourtney Kardashian. So he’d already faced his fear by the time the “Back to the Beginning” concert was announced in 2025 and he knew he wanted to go, but the lengthy flight to England had him feeling hesitant.
Speaking with Billy Corgan on an episode of the Smashing Pumpkins frontman’s The Magnificent Others podcast, the drummer revealed that he had a bit of a lightbulb moment that helped solidify the decision for him.
“I grew up on Ozzy, grew up loving Randy Rhoads… Ozzy was everything,” the drummer said. “I was talking to my friend. He’s like, ‘There’s not a chance you won’t do it.’ And I’m like, ‘You know what? You’re right.’
“And then my son, who was like a year-and-a-half at the time, was in the backyard wearing an Ozzy Osbourne shirt. This guy that was helping me build this playground with me, who was an older guy with long hair, saw my son’s T-shirt and told me how much Ozzy Osbourne means to him. And it stopped me in my tracks. And I went in the house and I was like, ‘Babe, 1,000 percent we’re going. There’s not a chance I would miss this for anything’.”
See the full podcast episode below.
The Moment That Convinced Travis Barker to Fly to Black Sabbath’s Final Show
What Did Travis Barker Play at Ozzy + Black Sabbath’s Final Show?
Barker made the trek over to Birmingham’s Villa Park for the show on July 5, 2025. He took part in a drum off with Danny Carey and Chad Smith during a rendition of Black Sabbath’s “Symptom of the Universe,” played drums on a cover of Ozzy’s “Bark at the Moon” and on Aerosmith’s “Train Kept a Rollin'” that day (see all of the setlists here).
Check out what rock stars have said about the first time they met Ozzy Osbourne in the comments below.
What 17 Rockers Have Said About Meeting Ozzy Osbourne for the First Time
Some of the biggest rock and metal musicians share their experiences meeting Ozzy Osbourne for the first time, what he was like and more.
Gallery Credit: Lauryn Schaffner