The supergroup performed some of Ozzy’s biggest hits alongside his keyboardist Adam Wakeman
At the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday, Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Nuno Bettencourt, and Yungblud joined forces to pay tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne. The supergroup stormed the stage at UBS Arena in Long Island, New York – the very venue where Aerosmith played their final show before having to cancel the remainder of their Peace Out World Tour. Yungblud and Nuno Bettencourt kicked things off with Ozzy’s signature song “Crazy Train,” followed by “Changes” which Yungblud crushed in July at Back to the Beginning – Black Sabbath and Ozzy’s final show. Also joining them was Black Sabbath and Ozzy keyboardist Adam Wakeman.
Check out photos from the performance and watch the full video below.
Steven Tyler also performed at Back to the Beginning earlier this summer. It has been great to see him back on stage performing again. In May of 2023, Aerosmith announced their Peace Out Tour – a final 40-date trek across North America. While the tour kicked off to rave reviews and praise from fans, frontman Steven Tyler sustained a fractured larynx during the band’s performance at UBS Arena on September 9, 2023, just three shows into the band’s lengthy grand finale. After postponing the the bulk of their final run, Aerosmith finally confirmed their rescheduled Peace Out Tour dates for 2024. As it turns out, Tyler’s recovery has taken longer than expected. Finally, back on August 2, 2024, Aerosmith completely canceled the rescheduled shows and retired from the road.
Aerosmith guitarists Joe Perry and Brad Whitford reunited this summer for a string of dates under the Joe Perry Project moniker. The new band also feature Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes on vocals, Stone Temple Pilots bassist Robert DeLeo and drummer Eric Kretz, and Aerosmith touring member Buck Johnson on keyboards.
Yungblud is currently in the midst of a U.S. tour in support of his new album IDOLS which arrived on June 20 via Locomotion/Capitol Records. It is the first installment of a double album. The alt-rock sensation, whose last two albums went to number one in the UK and broke into the Billboard top 100, has a back catalog that has accumulated an astonishing 6 billion streams globally.
The new 13-track IDOLS is Yungblud’s most ambitious yet. Making sure of no distractions, he headed to a location just outside of where he grew up in the north of England with producer Matt Schwartz at the helm, Bob Bradley on additional production, and guitarist Adam Warrington. On IDOLS, Yungblud explores the theme of hero-worship; how we look to others for validation, often putting others’ lives on a pedestal at the expense of the richness of our own experiences. Yungblud says, “We turn to others for an identity before turning to ourselves. Self-belief, self-reclamation, self-evolution and change. As we grow up, we lose our belief in magic and mystery. We begin to rationalize everything; our cage walls build up.” He added, “We compare ourselves to 15 different people before we’ve even had our breakfast.”
In 2023, Extreme released their latest album SIX. It was their first new studio LP in over a decade. The record arrived on June 9, 2023 via earMUSIC. It was the long awaited follow-up to 2008’s Saudades de Rock. In August of 2023, the band embarked on a headlining tour with special guests Living Colour. Earlier this year, Extreme will set sail on the Monsters of Rock Cruise on March 2.
Next summer, Extreme are touring with Def Leppard across the Europe and the UK.
Just 17 days after playing his final concert, music icon Ozzy Osbourne passed away. Surrounded by family and loved ones, he died on July 22 at his home in Buckinghamshire, England. He was 76-years old. Ozzy had recently performed one last time with Black Sabbath in their hometown of Birmingham as part of Back to the Beginning – an all-star tribute to Ozzy and Sabbath that featured the likes of Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, and more. In addition to the show, Ozzy got to see his daughter – Kelly Osbourne – get engaged backstage to her longtime partner, Slipknot keyboardist Sid Wilson.
“It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning,” his family said announcing his death. “He was with his family and surrounded by love.”
As the news of Osbourne’s passing started to travel around the globe, it became all the more apparent just how much of an impact the Prince of Darkness had on heavy metal, and the music industry as a whole. When the announcement was made, tributes began pouring in from the likes of Elton John, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Zakk Wylde, and of course, Ozzy’s Black Sabbath bandmates.
After his funeral services, Ozzy’s official cause of death was revealed. Among other health issues and injuries, Ozzy had primarily battled Parkinson’s since 2019. According to his death certificate that was released on August 5, it has been confirmed that the metal icon died of a heart attack with coronary artery disease. According to the New York Times, Ozzy suffered a medical incident, and an air ambulance was dispatched to his home to “provide advanced critical care,” spending two hours on the ground.
For the last few years, rumors have been swirling about a final Black Sabbath show featuring the band’s original lineup. Back in 2022, Ozzy Osbourne performed at the closing ceremonies of the Commonwealth Games. Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi joined him for Sabbath classics “Paranoid” and “Iron Man.” While it was a sight to see, it wasn’t quite full reunion fans were hoping for.
In 2023, Ozzy Osbourne was booked to headline the inaugural at Power Trip in California alongside Metallica, Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Tool, and Guns N’ Roses. Unfortunately, Ozzy canceled his performance due to ongoing health issues. Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi would reveal that Power Trip organizers initially approached Sabbath about performing at the festival with the original lineup. The band declined the offer, citing Ozzy’s health as the main reason for not taking the gig. There’s also the issue of the fractured relationship between Ozzy, Iommi, and bassist Geezer Butler with dummer Bill Ward. Ward did not appear on the band’s final album or take part in their final tour due to contractual issues.
“It’s hard, because Ozzy’s been going through a lot of stuff lately,” Iommi told SiriusXM’s Trunk Nation host Eddie Trunk. “He’s in hospital and out of hospital, and he’s really been fighting it; he really wants to get out there. But in my mind, it’s very difficult to sort of say yes. I’ve gotta think of the people in the band as well. I’ve gotta think of Ozzy, if he’s gonna be all right to do a show and whatever. So I wasn’t that comfortable with it, but I didn’t know Ozzy would be doing it on his own. But it’s great. I hope he can do it and that it’ll be really good. He really wants to do it. And he’s really trying to pull to get himself back. He’s had to go through such a lot of hard stuff lately. It’s such a shame, really. But he’s still fighting there.”
Despite turning down Power Trip, Iommi never ruled out the possibility of a one-off Black Sabbath reunion.
“I’ve certainly done the Commonwealth Games with Ozzy, and that sort of happened, but to do a full show, you’ve gotta make sure everybody’s in good shape because people are gonna remember you by that show. And I don’t want our reputation to go downhill all of a sudden. If something goes wrong or somebody can’t make it and we have to cancel… ‘Cause I don’t know everybody’s health; I don’t know how Bill [Ward’s] feeling these days. You just don’t know. So I’d like to be sure. If you’re gonna do anything, it’s gotta be good or not bother.”
Contrary to Iommi’s recent comments, Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler seemingly ruled out any sort of Black Sabbath reunion in the future.
In his new memoir Into the Void: From Birth to Black Sabbath – and Beyond, Butler opens up about his disconnect with Ozzy, and the band’s issues with Ward. Last week in an interview with Rolling Stone, Geezer put the cherry on top, saying of a reunion, “I don’t think Ozzy’s up for it, anyway.”
Now, the long-time dream finally came to fruition as the original lineup – Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward – played together for the first time in 20 years, and for the last time. The band took the stage to headline Back to the Beginning on 5 July at Villa Park.
The all-star event will celebrate the true creators of heavy metal and will see Ozzy Osbourne play his own short set before joining with Black Sabbath for his final bow.
“It’s my time to go Back to the Beginning…time for me to give back to the place where I was born,” Ozzy Osbourne said before the show. “How blessed am I to do it with the help of people whom I love. Birmingham is the true home of metal. Birmingham Forever.”
Additionally, the show will featured an incredibly stacked lineup of special guests including Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, Pantera, Guns N’ Roses, Tool, Lamb of God, Alice In Chains, Mastodon, and Halestorm.
All profits from the show were shared equally between Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Acorn Children’s Hospice – a Children’s Hospice supported by Aston Villa.
The all-day event also featured a supergroup of musicians. Artists announced so far include Billy Corgan (The Smashing Pumpkins), David Draiman (Disturbed), Duff McKagan & Slash (Guns ‘n Roses), Frank Bello (Anthrax), Fred Durst (Limp Bizkit), Jake E Lee, Jonathan Davis (Korn), KK Downing, Lzzy Hale (Halestorm), Mike Bordin (Faith No More), Rudy Sarzo, Sammy Hagar, Scott Ian (Anthrax), Sleep Token ii (Sleep Token), Papa V Perpetua (Ghost), Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), Wolfgang Van Halen and Zakk Wylde.
