Wolfgang Van Halen Drops Out of Black Sabbath’s Farewell — Here’s Why
via MetalTalk / YouTube
Conflict with Creed Tour
Wolfgang Van Halen recently confirmed he won’t be performing at Black Sabbath’s farewell concert, “Back to the Beginning,” set for July 5 in Birmingham, England. He originally agreed to join the lineup but later had to withdraw because of a scheduling issue with Mammoth’s tour.
“I, unfortunately, had to back out because the Creed tour [which Mammoth is supporting] starts the day after, and I [wouldn’t] be able to pull it off — unfortunately,” Van Halen, 34, told Detroit radio station 101 WRIF. “I’m very excited to watch it, but I unfortunately had to back out.”
The Creed Summer of ’99 tour resumes in Lexington, Kentucky, on July 9. Mammoth is one of several supporting acts, along with Daughtry, Sevendust, and Big Wreck. The tour’s announcement came through a teaser on Creed’s official Instagram page.
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Sabbath Farewell Still On
Despite Van Halen stepping down, the Black Sabbath farewell event is still packed with big names. “Back to the Beginning” is expected to be the final live show for Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward. It will also be streamed online for fans worldwide.
Interestingly, Van Halen’s name still appears on some promotional flyers for the event. Along with Sabbath’s core members, other artists scheduled to perform include Metallica, Alice in Chains, Anthrax, Sammy Hagar, and Tom Morello.
Van Halen had spoken earlier about how meaningful it was to take part in the show. During a May interview with Loudwire Nights, he reflected on his family’s connection to Sabbath. “My family lineage is intertwined and has gone way back with the likes of Ozzy. My dad was very, very close with Tony, probably the closest of any other guitar players out there.”
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Family Ties and Past Tributes
He also shared how proud he felt about being part of recent tributes involving the band. “It was a crazy honor to be there for the Hall of Fame induction as well as this. It’s a crazy thing,” he said during that same interview.
In 2023, Ozzy Osbourne personally invited Van Halen to perform during his Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction. Van Halen joined a special group including Billy Idol, Jelly Roll, Zakk Wylde, and Chad Smith from Red Hot Chili Peppers. They played hits like “Crazy Train” and “Mama, I’m Coming Home.”
“I got the request from Ozzy, so you don’t say no, you’re like, ‘I’ll do what I can, sir,’” Van Halen said on the Talking Rock with Meltdown podcast, according to Guitar.com. “We had two rehearsals in Los Angeles before we came out and then a rehearsal the day before in Cleveland, so it was nice, the band got to gel, so it wasn’t just thrown together.”
