Sharon Osbourne Confirms Band Was Removed from OZZY/BLACK SABBATH Farewell Show After Backstage Clash

The upcoming ‘Back To The Beginning’ concert—promoted as the final live performance for Black Sabbath’s original lineup and their legendary frontman Ozzy Osbourne—already boasts a star-studded lineup. But according to Sharon Osbourne, the bill nearly included one more band before a backstage dispute led to their removal.

In a recent interview with Metal Hammer, Sharon Osbourne, who manages Ozzy and is overseeing the event, revealed a heated confrontation with a manager forced her to eject that band from the roster.

“I had a huge, huge to-do with a manager over this celebration for Ozzy and Sabbath. And it was probably the worst way I’ve felt in years. And I don’t care what this person says about me, thinks about it, because he doesn’t know me. And he’s now going around making up bullshit lies because I threw his band off the bill.”

“I don’t care what people say. Because do you know what? I don’t love them. I care about people who love me, what they say about me. You can’t care what an industry says, because you don’t love them, so how can it hurt you? It doesn’t.”

Following the interview, speculation quickly grew that the band in question could be Tool, due in part to frontman Maynard James Keenan’s blunt comments on Ozzy’s recent health struggles. However, Tool remain firmly listed on the official lineup.

Separately, Metal Hammer referenced the notorious 2005 Ozzfest incident in which Iron Maiden were infamously pelted with eggs and other objects—a move widely attributed to Sharon herself. Addressing this, Sharon confirmed that Iron Maiden were not the band removed from this event:

“Oh god, no. Ozzy only has respect for the guys in Maiden. And he didn’t even know what Bruce [during ‘Ozzfest’] was doing. I never told him, until the night that it happened when it was the last show, and he just looked at me and goes, ‘You’re terrible.’”

At present, the identity of the removed artist remains unknown. Since no changes have been made to the publicly announced lineup, it’s possible this band was never officially revealed or was slated only to perform as part of the massive live jam session.

The farewell show takes place on July 5th at Villa Park in Birmingham, UK—the hometown of Black Sabbath. It features a massive gathering of metal and hard rock heavyweights paying tribute with special cover performances. Confirmed acts include:

Metallica
Guns N’ Roses
Slayer
Tool
Pantera
Gojira
Halestorm
Alice In Chains
Lamb Of God
Anthrax
Mastodon
Rival Sons

Additionally, Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine) will lead a special Ozzy/Sabbath covers jam, showcasing an all-star roster:

Andrew Watt
Billy Corgan (The Smashing Pumpkins)
Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
Danny Carey (Tool)
David Draiman (Disturbed)
David Ellefson (ex-Megadeth)
Duff McKagan (Guns N’ Roses)
Fred Durst (Limp Bizkit)
Lzzy Hale (Halestorm)
Jake E. Lee (Red Dragon Cartel, ex-Ozzy Osbourne)
Jonathan Davis (Korn)
KK Downing (KK’s Priest, ex-Judas Priest)
Mike Bordin (Faith No More, Ozzy Osbourne)
Papa V Perpetua (Ghost)
Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot)
Sammy Hagar (ex-Van Halen)
Slash (Guns N’ Roses)
Soundgarden
Steven Tyler (Aerosmith)
II (Sleep Token)
Vernon Reid (Living Colour)
Whitfield Crane (Ugly Kid Joe)
Wolfgang Van Halen (Mammoth WVH, ex-Van Halen)

Actor Jason Momoa (‘Aquaman’, ‘Game of Thrones’) will host the event, which will also be livestreamed globally. Portions of proceeds will benefit Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and Acorn Children’s Hospice.

Despite ongoing health challenges, Ozzy has been training hard in preparation for this monumental farewell. He is expected to perform at least five solo songs, alongside a limited number of tracks with Black Sabbath, though he’s cautioned fans the show will be physically scaled to his capabilities.

As the date approaches, fans will be watching closely for any further lineup updates — and hoping to discover which act was quietly removed behind the scenes.

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