Sharon Osbourne recently addressed rumors regarding Megadeth’s absence from Black Sabbath’s final show, “Back to the Beginning,” denying claims that she kicked the band off the bill due to financial demands, in an interview with Rolling Stone.
She explained that Megadeth’s absence was solely due to scheduling constraints and a lack of time to fit all the planned performances into a single day.
“We really, really wanted Megadeth,” Osbourne said. “There was no time, we couldn’t fit everybody in on one day. There were so many bands that were due to play that we just couldn’t because there was not enough time.”
She also reflected on the event’s overall success and the impressive performances from other musicians who participated.
“There [were] so many great, great performances,” she continued. “It was just overwhelming. Even down to when the drummers were up there, Travis [Barker] and Chad [Smith] and [Tool’s] Danny [Carey]. Everything was just great that day.”
Additionally, Osbourne praised guitarist Tom Morello for his contributions and character during the event.
“Tom Morello was an absolute saint and he is incredible,” she added. “His sense of music and of what’s right and what’s not right, he’s just an incredible person. He needs a sainthood. He is the saint of metal. He’s so wise and knows what he’s talking about on so many different levels.”
Osbourne’s remarks arrive as the concert’s filmed version heads to cinemas, giving fans a chance to revisit a night that carried enormous historical weight for heavy metal. The scale of the event, and the sheer number of artists who wanted to take part, helps explain why fitting every band onto the bill proved impossible.
The show itself was a landmark moment. “Back to the Beginning” took place at Villa Park in Birmingham on July 5, 2025, and featured the final live performances of both Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne as a solo artist. It also marked the first time since 2005 that the band’s original lineup — Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward — had performed together.
The bill was stacked with major names, including Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Tool, Guns N’ Roses, Anthrax, Alice in Chains, and Gojira, along with Lamb of God, Mastodon, Halestorm, and Tom Morello. Proceeds from the event went to Acorns Children’s Hospice, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and Cure Parkinson’s. The supersized hometown show drew 44,000 fans and ran roughly 10 hours, a scale that rivaled Ozzy’s own Ozzfest festivals.
The concert also proved to be one of Osbourne’s last public milestones. Ozzy died on July 22, 2025, just 17 days after the gig, following a heart attack at his home in Buckinghamshire. The Birmingham show, held a short distance from where he grew up in Aston, was livestreamed to millions worldwide.
