Sharon Osbourne has revealed that she was forced to remove a major artist from the lineup of this weekend’s highly anticipated “Back To The Beginning” charity concert, which will serve as BLACK SABBATH’s final performance.
Speaking to Billboard, Ozzy Osbourne’s wife and longtime manager explained that the decision came after the artist demanded payment for appearing at the event. “They wanted to make a profit,” Sharon said bluntly. “And it’s not the time to make a profit. After the show, I’ll let everybody know who it was. I think people will be shocked.”
The concert, set to take place Saturday, July 5 at Villa Park in Birmingham, is being billed as a historic farewell — not only for BLACK SABBATH but also as a heartfelt charity effort aimed at giving back to the city where the metal legends were born. Sharon made it clear that this is not a commercial endeavor, and those participating are doing so in the spirit of unity and legacy.
Last month, Sharon opened up to Metal Hammer about a heated dispute with a band manager whose act was originally set to appear at the show. “It was probably the worst way I’ve felt in years,” she said. “And he’s now going around making up bulls**t lies because I threw his band off the bill.”
Though Sharon didn’t name the band, she clarified that it wasn’t IRON MAIDEN — squashing speculation rooted in past tensions between the Osbournes and IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson, stemming from the infamous 2005 Ozzfest incident.
Some fans speculated online that TOOL had been removed, after their name was missing from promotional livestream materials last month. However, the band remains on the bill, and there’s been no official confirmation of any recent lineup changes other than Wolfgang Van Halen bowing out due to scheduling conflicts. This suggests that the mystery artist may have been removed before the full lineup was publicly announced.
To add to the speculation, Kelly Osbourne jumped into the conversation on Instagram to deny that the band in question was MEGADETH, writing “Nope! Not him!” under a Metal Addicts‘ post linking Dave Mustaine’s band to the situation.
Despite the behind-the-scenes drama, excitement continues to build for the farewell concert, which is projected to inject up to £20 million (approximately $27 million) into the local West Midlands economy. As many as 300,000 fans are expected to descend on Birmingham this weekend, turning the city into a hotspot for music, sport, and culture.
Tickets for the event sold out in under 16 minutes when they went on sale in February, with more than 150,000 people queuing online. With the original BLACK SABBATH lineup — Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward — reuniting one last time on stage, “Back To The Beginning” is shaping up to be one of the most significant events in heavy metal history.
Reeder, the visionary behind Metal Addicts, has transformed his lifelong passion for metal into a thriving online community for metal aficionados. As a fervent devotee of black metal, Reeder is captivated by its dark, atmospheric, and often unorthodox soundscapes.