WOLFGANG VAN HALEN Explains Why He Backed Out of OZZY OSBOURNE’s Final Concert: 'I Wouldn’t Be Able To Pull It Off'

Wolfgang Van Halen, son of late guitar legend Eddie Van Halen, was originally scheduled to appear at Ozzy Osbourne’s farewell concert, Back to the Beginning, on July 5 in Birmingham, U.K.

But in a new interview with WRIF’s Meltdown (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH), he confirmed that he had to cancel.

The reason? A packed tour schedule.

“I, unfortunately, had to back out because the Creed tour (with Mammoth as the support act) starts the day after, and I wouldn’t be able to pull it off,” Wolfgang said. “I’m very excited to watch it, but I unfortunately had to back out.”

The Creed reunion tour, featuring Mammoth WVH as openers, kicks off in early July. Wolfgang made it clear that the timing was the issue, not the invitation.

In the same interview, he spoke about his personal connection to Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath. His father was close with Tony Iommi, and Wolfgang has always admired Sabbath’s legacy.

“My family lineage has gone way back with the likes of Ozzy,” he said. “I know my dad was very close with Tony. It was a crazy honor to be there for Ozzy’s Hall of Fame induction, as well as this concert. It’s a crazy thing.”

Wolfgang had previously performed at Ozzy’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2024, where he played “Crazy Train” alongside Maynard James Keenan, Chad Smith, and Robert Trujillo. He recalled being nervous, but said the group made him feel comfortable.

“Certainly incredibly nervous,” he said. “But everybody made it really easy. It was really comfortable.”

When asked about playing Randy Rhoads’ iconic guitar parts, Wolfgang expressed deep respect.

“Randy was an incredible guitar player. It’s a shame we never got to see where he was gonna go,” he said. “To make that much of a mark that early, it’s a real shame.”

He also mentioned that his dad considered “Into the Void” by Black Sabbath one of his favorite guitar riffs.

“Any time my dad gave cred to something else, that meant it was legit,” Wolfgang said.

The Back to the Beginning concert will mark the first performance in 20 years by the original Black Sabbath lineup: Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward. The show sold out in under 10 minutes and will feature performances by Metallica, Pantera, Tool, Guns N’ Roses, and others.

A livestream of the full event will be available at www.backtothebeginning.com, beginning at 3:00 p.m. local time on July 5. The show can be rewatched for 48 hours after the live broadcast.

Despite not performing, Wolfgang says he’s still excited to watch from afar. “It’s going to be an amazing show,” he said.

Check out the full interview 👇

Got a tip for us? Email: [email protected]