This upcoming July, Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne will take the stage for the final time, performing their last ever show in their hometown of Birmingham, UK. Dubbed “Back to the Beginning,” the event boasts a massive lineup of bands and musicians, including Sammy Hagar, Metallica, Alice in Chains, Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan, Guns N’ Roses, Tool, Tom Morello, and many more.
In a recent interview with Loudwire Nights, former Van Halen singer Sammy Hagar spoke about his participation in the upcoming event, and shed some light into what we can expect Ozzy to sing.
“When the word started leaking out, [the event’s musical director] Tom Morello calls me and says, ‘Hey man, would you interested?’ I went, ‘Yes!’ He didn’t have to say what. Would you be interested? ‘Yes, Tom, I’m all in’. I was so flattered that I was one of the early guys on,” Hagar said.
He went on to explain that he has been studying Osbourne’s vocal techniques in preparation for the show.
“Everybody asks, ‘What do you listen to?’ Him. I’m listening to Ozzy until the 5th [July],” he continued. “I got to learn his phrasing. His melodic structures are so unique, he’s such a unique singer. I’m so honored.”
Hagar then revealed that Osbourne is hoping to sing five songs in total, including his 1991 song “No More Tears.”
“I chose to do ‘No More Tears’ and Tom goes, ‘Oh, that would be great’, and then he comes back and says, ‘Guess what? Ozzy’s going to try and sing five songs and he wants to sing ‘No More Tears’,” Hagar said.
“I said, ‘OK, ‘Flying High Again’ [1981], and he goes, ‘You got it’. So right now, I’m singing ‘Flying High Again’. If Ozzy changes his mind, I’ll sing ‘Flying High Again’ and ‘No More Tears’.”
Hagar also said that he was offered to perform one of his own songs as well, adding that he was looking to dust off some of his older material from the same era as Black Sabbath.
“I thought I would sing [Montrose’s 1973 song] ‘Rock Candy,’” he said. “Montrose and Sabbath were from the same kind of era… I’m so excited.”
