NEED TO KNOW
Ozzy Osbourne’s first posthumous single is here — and it’s a collaboration with metal icons.
On Friday, Sept. 26, Judas Priest released a cover of “War Pigs” featuring vocals from the Prince of Darkness for charity.
According to a press release, Judas Priest suggested turning “War Pigs” into a charity single and got Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne on board in “a project born from friendship, mutual respect and a shared mission to fight Parkinson’s disease.”
Epic Records
While it was initially conceived as a tribute video for Ozzy and Black Sabbath after Judas Priest were unable to join them at their final performance in July.
Despite his ongoing battle with Parkinson’s Disease — which he publicly shared in 2018 after a 2008 diagnosis — guitarist Glenn Tipton contributed guitars to the track.
Meanwhile, lead vocalist Rob Halford and Ozzy traded alternate vocal lines.
According to a press release, all proceeds will be donated to The Glenn Tipton Parkinson’s Foundation and Cure Parkinson’s.
In an August interview with Talkin’ Rock with Meltdown, the Judas Priest frontman, 74, opened up about how devastated he was after he discovered the rock legend died at the age of 76 on July 22.
“I just put the phone down in my hotel room… and I just curled up in a ball and bawled my eyes out for hours,” Halford said at the time. He “just couldn’t believe it.”
“I still can’t believe it now. I’m still grieving like so many people,” he said.
The “Panic Attack” recalled struggling with “all this tragedy” while he had a concert the next day.
In his own way, Halford paid tribute to Ozzy as Judas Priest has done in the past with lost loved ones — by performing the 2024 track “Giants in the Sky,” which details the loss of legends.
“Homage to the legends/ Till the bitter end/ Leaving such a legacy my friends/ Giants in the sky/ You won’t ever die,” he sings on the song.
Previously, Halford had honored Motorhead’s Lemmy Kilmister, Ronnie James Dio, Janis Joplin and Freddie Mercury.
“I said to everybody, this is so much to try and comprehend and so tough. But Ozzy would say ‘Let’s party. Let’s rock and roll. Let’s live it up, let’s enjoy.’ That was in his heart, his soul and his spirit. Whenever we did shows together he would always say to me, ‘Did you have a good time?,’” he said.
He then praised Ozzy as “the embodiment of kindness in that respect.”
In a May interview with Metal Hammer, Halford revealed he was supposed to perform with Black Sabbath at England’s Villa Park on July 5 for their Back to the Beginning show, but his band was scheduled to join the Scorpions in Hanover, Germany for the 60th anniversary celebration of the German rock group.
Ultimately, he decided doing both wasn’t possible.
Judas Priest’s “War Pigs” featuring Ozzy is out now.
