Sharon Osbourne and Tony Iommi spoke during an interview about what to expect from Black Sabbath and from Ozzy Osbourne's .
It was announced last Wednesday, February 5th, that the metal icons will reunite with their original lineup: Osbourne, guitarist Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler , and drummer Bill Ward.
This will be the first time in two decades that they have played together live and will mark the last performance of the band and the vocalist. All profits will go to the charities Cure Parkinson's, Birmingham Children's Hospital and Acorn Children's Hospice – a children's hospital supported by Aston Villa.
Titled Back To The Beginning , the performance will take place on July 5th at Villa Park, a stadium in Birmingham, the city in England where the group was formed in the late 1960s.
The event will also feature a lineup packed with big names from different eras of rock – including Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Gojira, Billy Corgan from Smashing Pumpkins, Slash and Duff McKagan from Guns N' Roses, Alice In Chains, members of Limp Bizkit and Korn, as well as Tom Morello from Rage Against The Machine, who will also act as the show's musical director.
“You can’t say goodbye,” Ozzy’s wife and manager told NME . “Look at what they leave behind – it’s a huge, magnificent legacy they’ve left for the world. As long as that exists, it will never be goodbye. It will be there for eternity.”
She admitted that her husband, Ozzy, is feeling "very emotional" about the final show and that this is "what he wants."
"He wants to thank everyone. He didn't have this chance because of his illness, but now he does."
Iommi thanked all the bands that agreed to perform and pay tribute to Sabbath, before Osbourne added: “Can you imagine the photo at the end, with all these guys together? A true sea of icons gathered here. That final photo will be incredible and will go down in history.”
Geezer Butler also didn't attend the event, but commented on his return on social media, saying, "I couldn't make it to England for today's announcement [February 5th] due to a commitment with my granddaughter, but I was with them in spirit," he wrote in the caption, referring to the press conference at Villa Park, which was attended by Tony Iommi and Sharon Osbourne .
“This will be the first time the original Sabbath have played in Aston since we lived there. It’s where we wrote most of our first album – in places like the Aston Community Centre and Burlington Hall on the High Street.”
Butler added: “So, it’s a return home, to where it all began, and it will be a very special occasion for all of us. See you there.” You can watch the video at the end of the article.
Tickets will go on sale to the general public next Friday, February 14th, at 7am (Brasilia time), and all proceeds will go to the charities Cure Parkinson's, Birmingham Children's Hospital and Acorn Children's Hospice – a children's hospital supported by Aston Villa. You can buy yours here.
