LONDON (AP) 鈥 Ozzy Osbourne will reunite with all of the original members of Black Sabbath for the first time in 20 years, in a gig that will be his last and that's being billed as the 鈥済reatest鈥 heavy metal show ever, promoters said Wednesday.
The band, one of the most influential of all heavy metal bands, will headline 鈥淭he Back to the Beginning鈥 show on July 5 at Villa Park, home of the in Birmingham, England.
鈥淚tB次元官网网址 my time to go back to the beginning 鈥 time for me to give back to the place where I was born,鈥 Osbourne said in a statement. 鈥淗ow blessed am I to do it with the help of people whom I love. Birmingham is the true home of metal. Birmingham forever.鈥
Osbourne, who was the band's front man during its peak period in the 1970s and who was widely known as the "Prince of Darkness," will deliver his own short set before Sabbath bandmates, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward, join him for the first time in two decades.
The all-day event will also feature a host of major metal bands including Metallica, Slayer and Alice In Chains, with more names to be announced shortly.
鈥淭his will be the greatest heavy metal show ever," music director Tom Morello said.
In 2020, Osbourne revealed he had been diagnosed with ParkinsonB次元官网网址 disease and after extensive spinal surgery. He has struggled with health issues since 2003 following a near-fatal quad bike crash, injuries that were aggravated in 2019 when he fell at home.
SabbathB次元官网网址 story began in Birmingham in 1968 when the four original members were looking to escape a life of factory work. Their eponymous debut album in 1970 made the U.K. top 10 and paved the way for a string of hit albums, including 1971's 鈥淢aster of Reality鈥 and 鈥淰ol. 4鈥 a year later. They went on to become one of the most influential and successful metal bands of all time, selling more than 75 million albums worldwide.
Osbourne's fame expanded into the mainstream in the early 2000s, when he joined his wife Sharon Osbourne, and two of their children in the hugely successful MTV reality TV show 鈥淭he Osbournes.鈥
All profits from the July 5 show will go to charities including Cure ParkinsonB次元官网网址, Birmingham ChildrenB次元官网网址 Hospital and Acorn ChildrenB次元官网网址 Hospice, which is supported by Aston Villa.
Tickets go on sale Friday, Feb. 14.
