Those who missed Back to the Beginning will always regret it. The July 5 extravaganza was the last time that Ozzy Osbournetook to the stage, performing both as a solo artist and as part of the heavy metal pioneers, Black Sabbath. And with Osbourne dying just a few weeks later at age 76, it really was the last time that fans would get to see the “Prince of Darkness” play.
If there’s anyone who has the greatest regret of missing Back to the Beginning, it might be Wolfgang Van Halen. The son of Eddie Van Halenwas scheduled to perform at the all-day, star-studded show in Black Sabbath’s hometown of Birmingham, but he pulled out just a week before. And now, we know why.
“With Back To The Beginning, things kept changing,” Wolfgang told Metal Hammer. “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.'”
However, prior commitments and schedule changes ultimately doomed Wolfgang. “What happened was, I had this Creed tour,” he told Metal Hammer. Wolfgang’s band, Mammoth, was booked to open for Creed during its North American summer tour, which kicked off on July 9.
“And they moved the rehearsal schedule back for Back To The Beginning, and we couldn’t make it at that point,” said Wolfgang. “It was a bummer!”
Wolfgang missed out on playing with Tom Morello’sAll-Stars, a supergroup of rotating members. David Draiman (Disturbed), Scott Ian (Anthrax), Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme), David Ellefson (Megadeth), Mike Bordin (Faith No More), and Adam Wakeman (Ozzy’s solo band, Jazz Sabbath) played “Sweet Leaf.” Later, Yungblud stepped in to sing “Changes.”
Did Wolfgang Van Halen Ever Meet Ozzy Osbourne?
Thankfully, Wolfgang did have a chance to meet Ozzy before his death. Van Halen was part of the all-star supergroup that performed a medley of Ozzy’s songs during the 2024 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Ozzy entered the Hall of Fame for the second time: first as part of Black Sabbath, and most recently, as a solo artist.
“I got to shoot the [explicative] with him for about 10, 15 minutes,” said Wolfgang. “He gave me a hug and I asked, ‘Was that alright?’ He said it was ‘bloody brilliant.'”
“I asked him a couple of questions about stories my dad had told me from when they toured together, added Wolfgang. Van Halen played with Sabbath on their Never Say Die! tour in 1978. “I can’t give specifics, but just to know that my dad wasn’t making stuff up was a fun thing!”
Related: Ozzy Osbourne Tribute at VMAs Leaves Fans With a Lot of Feelings
This story was originally reported by Parade on Sep 15, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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