Legendary Rocker Who’s Been Denied a Full Tribute to His Late Bandmate, Praises Ozzy, Black Sabbath Farewell Show originally appeared on Parade.
Sammy Hagar is among the veteran musicians who took part in the “Back to the Beginning” farewell concert for Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath, July 5 in Birmingham, England.
The former Van Halen frontman shared his thoughts about the event on Instagram on July 9 with a 20-slide carousel of professionally shot photos from the event along with a heartfelt caption.
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“I can’t say enough about how impressed, inspired and touched I am about the Back To The Beginning event, especially @OzzyOsbourne, @BillWardDrummer, @TonyIommi, and @GeezerButler. They not just did it, they fucking crushed it! and let’s not forget about all the musicians that showed up & gave it up, for all the right reasons,” he wrote.
“As for me being asked to be a part of this event, it meant the world & actually doing it in real time is something I’ll never forget. How bout some XXXTRA love and respect for @SharonOsbourne@tommorello & all the technicians, crew, security, & the fans that made this event not just happen but made it one of the greatest rock events of all time 🤘🤘🤘,” he concluded, before adding “Thanx to you all.”
For Hagar, the successful farewell/tribute show likely hit close to home. For years, he’s been calling for a similar show to honor the late Eddie Van Halen, the legendary guitarist and Hagar’s bandmate in Van Halen from 1985-1996.
Related: Valerie Bertinelli Reveals ‘Priceless’ Memory With Late Ex-Husband Eddie Van Halen and Their Son
Back in November 2023, in an interview on the Rock of Nations podcast, Hagar let loose about his frustration that an Eddie Van Halen tribute hadn’t been staged.
“For them not to have done something for Eddie Van Halen, the greatest guitar player in the world, on the planet. Greatest rock musician, I’m telling ya. It’s ugly,” Hagar complained, per Ultimate Classic Rock, “but it’s not my job.”
While a full-scale Eddie Van Halen may be out of his hands, Hagar has paid tribute to his former band. Back in May, he staged his “Best of All Worlds” Las Vegas residency at the Dolby Live at Park MGM. It took its name from the similarly named 2004 Van Halen greatest hits compilation, The Best of Both Worlds, that featured both Hagar and original Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth. Hagar’s Vegas show featured several Van Halen songs in the setlist.
Legendary Rocker Who’s Been Denied a Full Tribute to His Late Bandmate, Praises Ozzy, Black Sabbath Farewell Show first appeared on Parade on Jul 10, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
