Artist describes 'honour' of meeting Ozzy Osbourne

The artist said it was "an honour" to shake hands with the Black Sabbath frontman

An artist declared that he "can die now" after he met Ozzy Osbourne at the final Black Sabbath show.

Luke McDonnell from Stony Stratford, Buckinghamshire, was backstage at the Birmingham show as he put the finishing touches to an oil painting dedicated to the band.

Many of the stars attending the concert signed the artwork including actor Jason Momoa, Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose and Metallica.

The finished artwork, which was also signed by Osbourne, was sold for £16,000 in an online auction and the money will go to Cure Parkinson's, Birmingham Children's Hospital and Acorn Children's Hospice.

Luke McDonnell met many of the stars playing at the Birmingham concert

About 40,000 fans gathered at Villa Park in Birmingham for what the band billed as their final show.

Black Sabbath frontman Osbourne spoke to Mr McDonnell before signing the canvas.

"What an honour to shake hands with that guy," the artist recalled.

"It was post-show so he was being wheeled out in his wheelchair and before he did he came and he signed the painting and gave me a little bit of time."

"It was out of this world man. To hear compliments from these heroes - it's just like all right I can die now. I'm good."

Ozzy Osbourne signed the artwork that sold for £16,000 at auction

Mr McDonnell was initially approached about painting a mural backstage, but as he only had two days to turn the piece around he came up with the oil painting instead.

While researching for the project he did a "big deep dive into Sabbath history".

The artwork depicts the band's mascot, a devil called Henry, made of the smoke rising from chimneys and factories on the Birmingham skyline.

Momoa put an initial bid of £8,000 on the piece, but the winning bid came from New Zealand.

More limited prints of the artwork are planned to go on sale to raise more funds for the charities.

The artist said: "We're just going to try and raise as much money as we can for these charities while the buzz is still in the air."