Sammy Hagar says he feels “so honored” to be part of Ozzy Osbourne’s farewell concert, set for July 5 at Villa Park in Birmingham, UK. The event — fittingly titled Back To The Beginning — sold out in less than 10 minutes when tickets went on sale back in February.
The show promises a historic moment: the original Black Sabbath lineup — Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward — reuniting for the first time in 20 years. They’ll be joined by a jaw-dropping lineup of metal royalty, including Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Tool, Slayer, Pantera, Gojira, Alice In Chains, Halestorm, Lamb of God, Anthrax, and Mastodon.
Adding even more firepower, a “supergroup” featuring Duff McKagan and Slash (Guns N’ Roses), Billy Corgan (The Smashing Pumpkins), Fred Durst (Limp Bizkit), K.K. Downing (Judas Priest), Jake E. Lee (Ozzy Osbourne), Wolfgang Van Halen, Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), Andrew Watt, Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), David Ellefson (Megadeth), Vernon Reid (Living Colour), Whitfield Crane (Ugly Kid Joe), David Draiman (Disturbed), Frank Bello (Anthrax), Jonathan Davis (Korn), Lzzy Hale (Halestorm), Mike Bordin (Faith No More), Scott Ian (Anthrax), Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot), Papa V Perpetua (Ghost) — and Hagar himself — will also hit the stage.
Speaking with Loudwire Nights host Chuck Armstrong, Hagar explained how quickly he accepted the invitation once Tom Morello reached out.
“When Tom called and said, ‘Would you be interested?’ I didn’t even need to hear what it was — I said, ‘Yes. I’m all in,’” Hagar said. “I was so flattered to be one of the first guys asked.”
Hagar believes his recent appearance at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony, where he performed during Foreigner’s induction, helped put him on Ozzy’s radar. “Ozzy’s induction was after mine, so they were sitting there watching me do my thing. I must’ve been fresh on their minds,” he laughed.
Despite being a very different kind of singer from Osbourne, Hagar said he’s been immersing himself in Ozzy’s catalog to prepare: “I’m listening to f**king Ozzy until July 5. His phrasing and melodic structures are so unique — he’s such a unique singer.”
Originally, Hagar chose to perform “No More Tears,” but that plan changed when Ozzy decided he wanted to sing it himself. “Tom said Ozzy wants to do five songs and ‘No More Tears’ is one of them,” Hagar said. “So I picked ‘Flying High Again’ instead.”
If Ozzy changes his mind again, Hagar said he’s ready to jump on both songs. He even offered to perform his Montrose classic “Rock Candy,” connecting it to the era when Montrose and Black Sabbath were rising side by side.
“I’m so excited,” he said. “This is huge.”
Ozzy, who hasn’t played a full concert since 2018, announced Back To The Beginning as his final performance earlier this year. Proceeds from the event will support Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and Acorn Children’s Hospice.
The original Black Sabbath lineup last played together in 2005. Since then, the band has occasionally reunited in partial forms, but not with all four founding members.
Osbourne’s health struggles, including a rare genetic form of Parkinson’s disease (Parkin 2) diagnosed in 2003, a severe fall that dislodged metal rods in his back, and a COVID-19 infection, have kept him off the road in recent years. However, despite setbacks, Ozzy delivered brief but powerful appearances at the Commonwealth Games in 2022 and the NFL season opener that same year.
Now, with one last show on the horizon, rock fans will see the Prince of Darkness return to where it all began — surrounded by friends, legends, and a whole lot of heavy metal fire.
