LONDON – The metal music world is celebrating a poignant and historic collaboration between two iconic figures, the late Ozzy Osbourne of Black Sabbath and Judas Priest. The partnership, a cover of the beloved Black Sabbath track “War Pigs,” incorporated existing vocals from Osbourne and received his joyous approval just weeks before his death.
Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford revealed to Billboard that Osbourne had the opportunity to hear the final, mixed version of the track. Halford shared the immense relief and happiness of the band upon receiving the news.
“The absolute thrill for us all is he, with Sharon, listened to the final, finished mixing and he was grinning—he was smiling and he was very happy,” Halford recounted. He added that a note from Sharon Osbourne confirmed that Ozzy was “absolutely thrilled and delighted” that the two acts were able to do something musical together in this specific way.
“For him to do that and then two weeks later to go where he went was just unbelievable,” Halford said, underscoring the collaboration’s emotional weight and impeccable timing.
A Musical Unification
The track marks the first time in the history of the two legendary British metal bands that they have united musically. Halford praised the power of bringing the two behemoths together for a song “beloved by millions of metalheads around the world.”
The collaboration came to fruition after Sharon Osbourne requested that Halford’s vocals be mixed with Ozzy’s pre-existing track. Halford recalled doing a “happy dance” at the opportunity.
He noted the uncanny vocal chemistry between the two Birmingham natives: “We have voices that are very, very close to match up. It’s kind of spooky—when Ozzy sings, when I sing, the way the two voices are put together it’s absolutely magical.”
A Poignant Experience
Despite the exhilaration of the musical union, the 74-year-old Halford admitted that listening to the final track became an intensely emotional experience following Osbourne’s passing on July 22.
“I would get through 30 seconds and I would just have to switch it off because I was just so overcome with emotion,” he confessed, explaining that the proximity to the memory was too much to bear.
Halford concluded, revealing the depth of his grief: “I’m still grieving. It’s still very tough for me because of my friendship and my love for the man. It took me awhile to listen to the whole song in one go without any breaks, and now I can.” The track stands as a powerful and poignant tribute to one of rock’s true originals.
