The lineup for the big Black Sabbath reunion/farewell concert is stacked with big names from metal and hard rock, including Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Tool and Slayer. One name that is conspicuously absent, though, is Rob Halford.
As the Judas Priest frontman tells Metal Hammer, he's unable to perform at the concert due to a scheduling conflict, having already booked a show with Scorpions on the same day in Germany.
"It all got announced and was a big deal – Scorpions and Priest – and suddenly I get this phone call [from Sharon Osbourne]," Halford shares. "[She said,] 'Robbie, I know you've got this gig with Scorpions, but could you consider coming over to do a thing with Ozzy and the guys, he'd love to see you.'"
While Sharon offered to fly Halford from Germany to the Sabbath show in Birmingham, England, Halford felt that the risk of something going wrong was too great.
"Even with a private plane, there's a word called 'technical,' where something could go wrong, or the weather that time of year could cause problems," Halford says. "I was absolutely gutted."
Still, Halford is excited for Ozzy and his metal pals who are playing the show, and that it will celebrate the legacy of Birmingham, where both Priest and Sabbath were founded.
"All my mates are going to be there though, great bands and artists," Halford says. "It's a wonderful and epic moment for Sabbath and heavy metal – it re-emphasizes that Birmingham is where metal came from."
The Sabbath concert takes place July 5 and will mark the final performance by original members Ozzy, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward. It's also set to be Ozzy's final performance of his career.
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