Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale on Black Sabbath’s final show: “To be the only woman asked to be there is an honour”

Halestorm‘s Lzzy Hale has opened up about being the only woman asked to perform at Black Sabbath‘s final ever concert, calling it an “honour”.

• READ MORE: Sharon Osbourne and Tony Iommi tell us about Black Sabbath’s finale: “Usually this thing is done when you’re dead”

Dubbed ‘Back To The Beginning’, the final Sabbath date at Birmingham’s Villa Park on July 5, boasts a massive, star-studded line-up. Along with Tool the likes of Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Alice In Chains, Gojira, Anthrax, Smashing Pumpkins‘ Billy Corgan, Guns N’ Roses, and KoRn are set to perform.

Among those are Halestorm, though in a new interview with Audacy Music, Hale revealed that she almost ignored the invitation because she thought it was fake.

“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,” she said. “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.”

Hale went on to say: “To be the only woman asked to be there is an honour as well.” She also revealed that she had been speaking to fellow female singers in the rock genre, including The Pretty Reckless‘ Taylor Momsen and Evanescence frontwoman Amy Lee, ahead of the giant gig.

“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,” she said. “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.’

“And so it’s this beautiful event that everyone gets to look forward to. I’m so glad they’re doing it.”

Tom Morello will be performing and serving as the gig’s musical director, and has said he is “honoured” to take on the role. He recently teased some “huge superstars” as “surprises” for the Birmingham show.

Hale added that Morello was looking into organising for her and Disturbed‘s David Draiman to perform the Osbourne and Lita Ford song ‘Close My Eyes Forever’ at the event, which they previously recorded as a duet.

She said: “So, according to Tom Morello, that is in the works, but he said, ‘You’re gonna have to be patient with the confirmation for that.’

“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.”

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Although Osbourne recently revealed that he was “in heavy training” for the concert, he has had muliple health issues and he previously told fans that he would only be “doing little bits and pieces” with Sabbath at Villa Park amid his health issues.

Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan recently said it may take “modern miracles” to get Osbourne on stage, adding: “I’m kinda preparing for the worst – but hoping for the best, as they say.”

Meanwhile, Osbourne’s longtime collaborator and guitarist, Zakk Wylde, recently teased that the Prince Of Darkness may perform from a “throne that flies over the stadium” at the historic event.

The frontman previously revealed that he now “can’t walk” as a result of Parkinson’s, but Sharon Osbourne assured fans that his illness “doesn’t affect his voice”.

When speaking to NME alongside Tony Iommi at Villa Park in February, she said her husband was doing “really great” at the time. She told us that Ozzy was feeling “very emotional” about the last Sabbath show, and that it was “what he wants”.

“He wants to say thank you to everybody,” Sharon told NME. “He didn’t have that chance because of his illness, but now he does have the chance.”

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