Tom Morello Promises “Huge Superstars” and a Few Surprises During Final Ozzy Osbourne Concert

Just last month, tickets for the Back To The Beginning charity concert went on sale. Selling out in less than 10 minutes, fans clamored to get a ticket for what would be the last performance of the original Black Sabbath lineup. Bringing back Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward, the performance will take place on July 5th at Villa Park in Birmingham, United Kingdom. Quickly becoming a celebration of Black Sabbath and heavy metal, Tom Morello admitted there would be more than “Huge superstars” at the show. 

Speaking with Greg Phillips of Australian Musician about the show, Morello first explained how he ended up being the musical director. “It came about [because] Ozzy and Sharon [Osbourne, Ozzy’s wife and manager] asked me to do — they surprised me one day and said, ‘There’s gonna be one more Black Sabbath show, all four original members, the last-ever Ozzy Osbourne show. We wanna have a big day of celebration and will you help curate it?’ And I was, like, ‘Well, that’s crazy. But yes, of course.’”

With Morello insisting he wanted to make it the “greatest day” in heavy metal, he promised a concert unlike any other. “Let me tell you, there’s some huge superstars who are gonna be surprises on that day too. So, the idea is to really acknowledge the importance of that band in a way that the whole world will forever know it.”

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Tom Morello Hints At 10 Hour Tribute To Black Sabbath And Ozzy Osbourne

As for his own connection to heavy metal and bands like Black Sabbath, Morello recalled his childhood. “Heavy metal is the music that made me love music, and Black Sabbath invented heavy metal. And Ozzy Osbourne, by discovering the guitarist Randy Rhoads, created, through Randy Rhoads, the music that inspired me to practice eight hours a day. So I owe a great debt to Ozzy and to Black Sabbath.”

While Morello didn’t want to give up too many details pertaining to the concert, he promised a concert that would last nearly 10 hours. “Right now, we have, like, 14 bands. You know, it’s Metallica, Guns N’ Roses. It’s, like, all the biggest bands in the history of heavy metal. The show is gonna be about 10 hours long, but it’s gonna be a salute to a genre that people all around the world love. You know, it’s been the music that has really made me love music.”

Outside of curating the event, Morello also looked to take the stage with a special performance with Adam Jones of Tool and Billy Corgan from Smashing Pumpkins. With the three growing up around the same area, Morello teased, “The three of us are going to play together for the first time ever at the show.”

(Photo by Andy Wenstrand/SXSW Conference & Festivals via Getty Images)