"No, [there will be no Ozzfest] this year,” says Ozzy. “I just finished a lengthy arena tour of the U.S., so I've decided to tour Europe this summer instead."
This marks the second time in three years that Ozzfest has gone dark.
Ozzfest 2010 was a short run of 6 shows, featuring Ozzy, Motley Crue, Halford, Devildriver and Nonpoint.
There was no Ozzfest in 2009, while the 2008 edition was a one-day event in Dallas, Texas, with Ozzy, Metallica, Aplocalyptica, and others.
Launched in 1997, the festival has faltered in recent years, partly due to the economy and partly because of competition – combined, that means there’s fewer dollars and more choice available in the marketplace – tough conditions for players in any industry.
The 2011 U.S. summer touring season is already packed with festivals, events and tours like Mayhem, Uproar, Lollapalooza, the Motley Crue/Poison, Def Leppard/Heart and Rob Zombie/Slayer double bills, and more.
Ozzy’s iconic first two solo albums, “Blizzard Of Oz” (1980) and “Diary Of A Madman” (1981), are being reissued on May 31, nine years after they were altered by Sharon Osbourne during a legal dispute over unpaid royalties with former bandmates Lee Kerslake and Bob Daisley.
More than two decades after the albums were originally released, Sharon sought revenge against Kerslake and Daisley by removing their tracks and having them re-recorded by Ozzy’s (then) current band members, Robert Trujillo (now with Metallica) and drummer Mike Bordin.
Last summer, Ozzy went public with his side of the story, telling the Pulse Of Radio, “Believe me, it wasn’t my doing. I mean, I didn’t know that was being done, ’cause Sharon (Osbourne) was fighting all the legal things that were going down at the time. I said, ‘What did you do that for?’ And she said, ‘The only way I could stop everything was if it went to that level.’ And I said, ‘You know what, whatever the circumstances were, I want the original thing back.’ I mean, I wouldn’t have done that.”
Ozzy Osbourne Ozzy Osbourne – I Don’t Know
02 Arena – London, UK – September 18, 2010
See also:
VIDEO: Randy Rhoads rocks with Ozzy Osbourne
VIDEO: Ozzy Osbourne reissues legendary first two solo albums
More tax problems for Sharon & Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne: OzTV hits Panama City
Ozzy Osbourne: OzTV hits Quito, Ecuador
Ozzy Osbourne: OzTV hits Bogota, Columbia
Ozzy Osbourne: Classic album reissues due in May
Ozzy reissues update
Ozzy to rerelease classic albums
