Black Sabbath to reunite for first time in 20 years

By Hanna Rantala

BIRMINGHAM, England (Reuters) - The original line-up of heavy metal legends Black Sabbath will play together for the first time in 20 years at a one-off concert in Birmingham, England, this summer, organisers said on Wednesday.

The July 5 show at the birthplace of the band will feature Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward — the group that pioneered heavy metal music in the early 1970s with hits such as "War Pigs", "Paranoid" and "Iron Man".

Since their last gig together in 2005, Black Sabbath has played in partial reunions but never in their original line-up.

Black Sabbath, in what is being billed as its final show, will top a line-up of rock and heavy metal icons including Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Alice in Chains, Lamb Of God and Anthrax at the Villa Park event.

Profits from the show, called "Back to the Beginning", will be donated to charities including Cure Parkinson's, organisers said.

Osbourne, the group's charismatic frontman who left the band in 1979 due to drug and alcohol problems and went on to pursue a highly successful solo career, said in 2020 he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

"It's ... time for me to give back to the place where I was born," Osbourne, 76, said in a statement. "How blessed am I to do it with the help of people whom I love. Birmingham is the true home of metal."

Tickets will go on sale on Feb. 14.

(Writing by Sachin Ravikumar, Editing by Paul Sandle)