Rob Halford ‘Absolutely Gutted’ to Miss Final Black Sabbath Show

Many of hard rock and heavy metal's biggest acts are booked for the final Black Sabbath show on July 5, except for fellow metal icons and Birmingham, England natives Judas Priest. If you're disappointed by this, Rob Halford agrees with you.

The Metal God talked about this with Metal Hammer, and he had no idea this show was happening before committing to another major metal show happening on the same day in Hannover, Germany, marking the 60th anniversary of Scorpions.

Halford explained, "It all got announced and was a big deal – Scorpions and Priest – and suddenly I get this phone call [from Sharon Osbourne]: ‘Robbie, I know you’ve got this gig with Scorpions, but could you consider coming over to do a thing with Ozzy and the guys, he’d love to see you.’”

At first, there was an attempt to see if Priest could play both shows, with Sharon offering to fly the band to and from each gig. However, the timing was very tight to the point where it was deemed too "dangerous" to attempt flying between both performances.

Halford said, "Even with a private plane, there’s a word called ‘technical’, where something could go wrong, or the weather that time of year could cause problems … I was absolutely gutted."

Of course, the final Black Sabbath show won't be without some Judas Priest representation, albeit from a former member. Booked for the show is former Priest guitarist K.K. Downing. In February, he said in a statement about being included on the bill, "This will be an incredibly emotional and historic event! The final farewell to the ultimate gods of metal. Black Sabbath and Ozzy will return to their home in Aston, Birmingham, the very place where it all began, and I am deeply honored to be part of this momentous occasion, paying my respects and tribute."

He added, "I vividly remember growing up in the suburbs of Birmingham, England, over 50 years ago and witnessing the emergence of this band that would pioneer a genre of music that had never been heard before. It was more than just music—it was the sound, the performance and the atmosphere that created a phenomenon that was irresistible to fans, and I was one of them. I know firsthand the immense impact Black Sabbath has had on the world."