United Kingdom, Oct. 6 -- Ozzy Osbourne wanted a back-up plan drawn up in case he was too ill to perform at the Black Sabbath reunion gig.

The late rock legend was admitted to hospital in May just days after moving back to the UK with his wife Sharon after years living in Los Angeles and Ozzy feared his health might prevent him from appearing with his former bandmates at the huge gig in his hometown of Birmingham in July so he wanted a video made to replace him.

In an extract from his posthumous memoir Last Rites, which was published in The Times newspaper, Ozzy wrote: "Three days after we finally got to England I was back in hospital.

"My blood pressure kept me there for eight days, during which I had nothing to do but worry. Because ...