Ozzy Osbourne Says Black Sabbath To Record Final Record, Embark On Final Tour in 2016
Black Sabbath lead singer Ozzy Osbourne told revealed to press at the Monsters of Rock Festival in Brazil that 2016 will see the final studio album and tour for the legendary English rock band, according to Billboard‘s Chris Payne.
Sabbath, who were slated initially slated to perform a farewell concert at Osbourne’s metal concert festival Ozzfest in Japan in November, were replaced as headliners by Osbourne performing as a solo act with “friends” after a public spat between Osbourne and Sabbath drummer Bill Ward, who announced earlier this month via his Facebook page that he would not be rejoining Sabbath unless and until he received an apology from Osbourne as well as a “signable” contract. In making the announcement of Sabbath’s disbanding, Osbourne cited an unwillingness from other members of the band to continue, a statement that many see as a slight toward Ward.
“We all live in different countries and some of them want to work and some of them don’t want to, I believe. But we are going to do another tour together, then at the beginning of next year, I’m going out with Sabbath. The Sabbath thing is folding up after the next tour…our last hurrah. Then it’s no more Sabbath at all. We’re disbanding the name and everything. They don’t want to tour anymore. I get it. But I love it.”
Dana Rose Falcone of Entertainment Weekly reports that, following Sabbath’s end, Osbourne will continue to tour as a solo act and is already cultivating material for a solo album.
“My wife spends all my money, so I can’t stop. I’ve just got to give it my best shot every night and hope that they like it. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t.”
Already announced to be joining Osbourne and Friends on the Ozzfest Japan lineup are California nu metal pioneers Korn, who will be supporting the 20th anniversary of the band, as well as a rare appearance by goth metal band Evanescence, according to Chad Childers of Loudwire.
Black Sabbath was formed in Birmingham, England in 1968 as a blues rock band. In 1979, Osbourne was dismissed from the band due to excessive drug and alcohol use, and was replaced by iconic metal vocalist Ronnie James Dio. Following decades of lineup changes and and temporary hiatuses, Osbourne rejoined Sabbath in 1997 and then again in 2010. Black Sabbath was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2006 and remains one of the most influential acts in the rock and heavy metal genres.
[Image via Getty Images.]
