Wolfgang Van Halen has confirmed his withdrawal from the highly anticipated “Back to the Beginning” final concert for Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne, scheduled for Saturday, July 5th, at Villa Park in Birmingham, United Kingdom. The Mammoth WVH frontman cited an unavoidable scheduling conflict with his band’s upcoming tour with Creed as the reason for his absence.
In a recent interview with Meltdown of Detroit’s WRIF radio station, Wolfgang expressed his regret. “I, unfortunately, had to back out because the Creed tour [with Wolfgang‘s Mammoth as the support act] starts the day after, and I [wouldn’t] be able to pull it off — unfortunately,” he stated (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). Despite the setback, he affirmed his interest in the event, adding: “I’m very excited to watch it, but I unfortunately had to back out.”
His recent remarks contrast with earlier comments made to Loudwire Nights, where he conveyed his eagerness to perform, noting, “My family lineage has is intertwined and has gone way back with the likes of Ozzy.” He also highlighted his late father Eddie Van Halen‘s close bond with Tony Iommi, describing it as a “crazy honor” to be involved.
The deep connection Wolfgang shares with Black Sabbath extends beyond personal ties, resonating with his artistic sensibilities. He described Sabbath as incomparable legends. “There are some legends out there where it’s just, like, they can’t be replicated. They’re just so original and they started a movement. You can’t mess with that.” He also revealed a significant detail about his father’s musical preferences: “My dad was very much a — he kind of focused on his stuff, but any time my dad gave cred to something else, that meant it was legit. And he always told me one of his favorite guitar riffs was ‘Into The Void‘ by Black Sabbath. And there’s nothing better, man. It’s just the best.”
When pressed to name his favorite guitarist to have played with Ozzy Osbourne, a list that includes Sabbath co-founder Tony Iommi and Randy Rhoads, Wolfgang respectfully declined to choose. He emphasized the groundbreaking contributions of both artists: “I’m really bad at picking, ’cause that almost implies you don’t like another one in comparison. And I feel like Randy was amazing, but you can’t not give cred to Tony being the legend and groundbreaking genre creator he was — and is. [Laughs] So I love ’em all. That’s not the answer you wanna hear.”
Despite Wolfgang Van Halen‘s necessary withdrawal, the “Back to the Beginning: Ozzy’s Final Bow” concert is set to proceed as a monumental event. It will feature the historic reunion of Ozzy Osbourne with the original Black Sabbath lineup (Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward), alongside a star-studded roster of guest performers. For fans worldwide, the event will be broadcast live from Villa Park via a pay-per-view livestream, commencing at 3:00 p.m. BST on July 5th, with a 48-hour rewatch window available.
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