The rock world has been buzzing ever since Wednesday’s announcement that heavy metal icons Black Sabbath are planning to reunite for a July 5 show at Villa Park in Birmingham, United Kingdom. Dubbed “Back To The Beginning,” the gig is set to include all four original members of the band, and the star-studded bill reads like a who’s who in the world of metal.
Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, Lamb Of God, Pantera, Alice In Chains, Halestorm, Gojira and Mastodon are all scheduled to play, and guest appearances will include Billy Corgan, David Draiman, Duff McKagen, Fred Durst, Lzzy Hale, Sammy Hagar, Slash and Jonathan Davis, among several others.
Ozzy himself is also planning to do some of his solo material. “Ozzy didn’t have a chance to say goodbye to his friends, to his fans, and he feels there’s no been no full stop,” Sharon Osbourne told BBC News. “This is his full stop.”
She continued: “He’s doing great. He’s doing really great. He’s so excited about this, about being with the guys again and all his friends. It’s exciting for everyone.”
Sharon also provided an update on Ozzy’s health via The Sun. While most metal fans are excited about the show, there are still some concerns on just how much both Ozzy and Sabbath drummer Bill Ward will be able to participate given their recent health issues.
“Ozzy’s very happy to be coming back and very emotional about this,” she said. “Parkinson’s is a progressive disease. It’s not something you can stabilize. It affects different parts of the body and it’s affected his legs. But his voice is as good as it’s ever been.”
Ozzy elaborated on his condition during his SiriusXM radio show this week saying: “I have made it to 2025. I can’t walk, but you know what I was thinking over the holidays? For all my complaining, I’m still alive. I may be moaning that I can’t walk but I look down the road and there’s people that didn’t do half as much as me and didn’t make it.”
