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Halestorm is one of several musicians set to perform at Black Sabbath's "Back to the Beginning" event this summer, which will mark the band's final performance as well as Ozzy Osbourne's final solo performance. The band's frontwoman Lzzy Hale is also the only woman who will be performing during the day-long celebration.
She spoke about the opportunity in a new interview, admitting that she almost didn't respond to the invitation because she thought it was too good to be true. “Dude, so we got this e-mail from Sharon Osbourne. And I didn’t answer it for two days. ’cause I’m, like, ‘Is this real?’ It’s wild,” Hale admitted. “I’ve been a Black Sabbath fan since I was 11. The first riff I ever learned a guitar was ‘Heaven And Hell’ by Black Sabbath.”
“To be the only woman asked to be there is an honor as well,” she noted, revealing that she spoke to fellow frontwomen including Taylor Momsen of The Pretty Reckless and Amy Lee of Evanescence. “I was talking to my friends, Taylor Momsen and Amy Lee and [In This Moment’s] Maria Brink and all of my sisters in this genre, and they’re all so proud of me. And I said, ‘Hey, girls, I’m carrying you with me. You’re gonna be there in spirit. I’m gonna make you girls so proud.’"
Hale also addressed Ozzy's health, something TOOL's James Maynard Keenan is skeptical about. “Because of Ozzy’s health and everything, we’re gonna have to see pretty much on the day how much Ozzy’s going to be singing and willing to do,” she continued. “But Halestorm is doing a set. We’re also doing a Black Sabbath cover. And I’ve been asked to sing in the supergroup with Tom Morello and everybody there.”
Back To The Beginning and is to take place July 5 in Birmingham, UK. In addition to Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, Halestorm and TOOL, the all-day event will also feature sets from Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Alice in Chains, and many other rock and metal icons.