What Wolfgang Van Halen Was Asked to Play at Ozzy + Black Sabbath's Final Concert

Mammoth leader Wolfgang Van Halen sadly had to pull out of the Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath Back to the Beginning concert back in July, but during a chat with Metal Hammer, the singer-guitarist revealed how he was initially intended to be put to use during the historic day.

What Was Wolfgang Van Halen Initially Planning to Play at Back to the Beginning?

When Back to the Beginning was initially announced earlier in the year, Wolfgang Van Halen was one of the many name performers tapped to play the historic concert event. But a late cancellation ruled him out of the festivities.

However, Van Halen revealed that there was a plan in place for him. The show featured several ad hoc supergroups that were formed to provide a set of Sabbath or Ozzy-centric music for the show.

He revealed to Metal Hammer, “With Back To The Beginning, things kept changing. We had the flights and the hotel booked and paid for – with our own money, actually. At one point I was supposed to play guitar on [the Black Sabbath song] 'Sweet Leaf,' then it was 'Changes.'”

Why Did Wolfgang Van Halen Exit the Back to the Beginning Show?

During a late June appearance on Detroit's Meltdown on 101 WRIF, Van Halen revealed his exit from the show.

"I, unfortunately, had to back out because the Creed tour [with Mammoth as support] starts the day after, and I [wouldn't] be able to pull it off — unfortunately. I'm very excited to watch it, but I unfortunately had to back out," he shared at the time.

The shifting rehearsal schedules eventually conflicted to the point that Wolfgang realized he couldn't make it back in time for the start of the tour. "It was a bummer,” he added.

Wolfgang Van Halen's Past Ozzy Tribute

While Wolfgang Van Halen missed out on Back to the Beginning, the singer-guitarist did get to pay homage through musical tribute to Ozzy at another key moment in the Prince of Darkness' life. He was part of the all-star supergroup organized to salute Osbourne during Ozzy's solo career induction in the Rock Hall in the fall of 2024.

Speaking about that experience, Van Halen shared, “I got to shoot the shit with him for about 10, 15 minutes. He gave me a hug and I asked, ‘Was that alright?’ He said it was ‘bloody brilliant’.”

He adds that during the visit at the Rock Hall he was able to ask Ozzy some questions about Van Halen opening for Black Sabbath early in their career. “I asked him a couple questions about stories my dad had told me from when they toured together,” he continued. “I can’t give specifics, but just to know that my dad wasn’t making stuff up was a fun thing!”