As previously reported, Halestorm are among the acts set to take part in Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne’s final show at Villa Park in Birmingham, England on July 5. As such, singer/guitarist Lzzy Hale recently addressed some concerns involving Osbourne, who has suffered a number of health setbacks in recent years due to his battle with PRKN 2 and numerous surgeries related to a 2019 fall. According to her, “we’re gonna have to see pretty much on the day how much Ozzy’s going to be singing and willing to do.”
Hale told Audacy Music the following when asked if she’ll perform Osbourne and Lita Ford’s “Close My Eyes Forever,” which she previously covered with Device (Disturbed, etc.):
So, according to [Rage Against The Machine’s] Tom Morello [who is the musical director for the concert], that is in the works, but he said, ‘You’re gonna have to be patient with the confirmation for that.’ Because of Ozzy’s health and everything, we’re gonna have to see pretty much on the day how much Ozzy’s going to be singing and willing to do. But Halestorm is doing a set. We’re also doing a Black Sabbath cover. And I’ve been asked to sing in the supergroup with Tom Morello and everybody there.”
She continued when asked how Halestorm were invited to participate in the concert:
“Dude, so we got this e-mail from [Ozzy’s wife and manager] Sharon Osbourne. And I didn’t answer it for two days. ’cause I’m, like, ‘Is this real?’ It’s wild.
I’ve been a Black Sabbath fan since I was 11. The first riff I ever learned a guitar was ‘Heaven And Hell’ by Black Sabbath. And then you opened for Heaven & Hell in 2009, with Ronnie James Dio, and that was Ronnie James Dio’s last show before he passed away. So it’s this incredible full-circle, unfathomable dream. If you had told me this when I was 13, I’d be, like, ‘You’re a liar. This will never happen to me.’”
She went on to say that it is an honor to be “the only woman asked to be there”:
“I was talking to my friends, uh, [The Pretty Reckless’] Taylor Momsen and [Evanescence’s] Amy Lee and [In This Moment’s] Maria Brink and all of my sisters in this genre, and they’re all so proud of me. And I said, ‘Hey, girls, I’m carrying you with me. You’re gonna be there in spirit. I’m gonna make you girls so proud.’ And so it’s this beautiful event that everyone gets to look forward to. I’m so glad they’re doing it.”
She also added the following about Black Sabbath’s influence on her career:
“Geezer Butler ended up mentioning our band in his book because of us opening up for Heaven & Hell right before Ronnie passed. And I got some amazing words of advice from Ronnie James Dio at that gig that I carry with me every day.
There’s a difference between believing that you are capable of doing and being a part of great things, and then it actually happening. ‘Cause you can believe all you want; it doesn’t mean it’s gonna happen. So, yeah, I’m very grateful for all the people that believe in us and believe in me, and I’m so happy that we’re still a band. We haven’t disbanded yet, and we didn’t give up before the miracles started happening.”
Hale also addressed the massive task Morello has as the curator for the event:
“Sounds like a shit show. I do not envy that job at all. They’ve been keeping us a little bit in the dark. I get bits and pieces from Tom. Every time Tom calls me, I’m, like, ‘Uh-oh. Am I learning a new song? What’s happening?’ And so there’s all these moving pieces.
It’s gotta be hard ’cause you have the legacy of Black Sabbath, and then you have everyone attached to Black Sabbath, all of the ex-bandmates, the family members, and then the rock royalty, like Wolfie Van Halen and Billy Corgan and all of these guys and Tool and everybody that wants to be a part of it.”
Notably, Osbourne’s participation is expected to be limited. He is also reportedly planning to perform from a throne. That being said, the frontman is training for the event.
[via Blabbermouth]
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