Alex Van Halen Reveals Ozzy Osbourne Was Approached to Front a Van Halen Album. Why It Never Happened

Mar. 15, 2025

Alex Van Halen in Los Angeles in March 2014; Ozzy Osbourne in New York City in December 2014.Photo:Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic; Ilya S. Savenok/Getty

Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic; Ilya S. Savenok/Getty

Wait,Ozzy Osbournenearly sang lead vocals on aVan Halenalbum?

In a new interview withRolling Stone, Alex Van Halen revealed the rock band once approached the Black Sabbath musician to front a Van Halen album while its members were between lead singers in 2001.

Van Halen.Fin Costello/Redferns

Fin Costello/Redferns

So, according toRS, Alex and Eddie met withSharon Osbourne, Ozzy’s wife and manager, to discuss the “Crazy Train” singer potentially delivering lead vocals on the next Van Halen record.

“When you get a dog, you don’t expect it to be a cat,” Alex told the outlet. “When you get an Ozzy, you get Ozzy. Play the music, he’ll sing, and it’s gonna be great.”

Ozzy Osbourne in New York City in December 2014.Ilya S. Savenok/Getty

Ilya S. Savenok/Getty

In a statement toRS, Ozzy confirmed the near-collaboration with Van Halen. “Yes, we were discussing it,” he said. “It is something that if it had come to fruition, would have been phenomenal.”

He added, “Eddie and Alex were great friends of mine for a very long time and it’s a regret of mine that we never got it together.The Osbournesgot in the way of creating new music at that time, unfortunately.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Alex said Van Halen considered a reunion tour following Eddie’s death in 2020, but the plan was ultimately canceled because Roth, 70, didn’t want to pay tribute to his late bandmate in each concert.

Alex Van Halen in 1978.Fin Costello/Redferns/Getty

Fin Costello/Redferns/Getty

“The thing that broke the camel’s back, and I can be honest about this now, was I said, ‘Dave, at some point, we have to have a very overt — not a bowing — but an acknowledgement of Ed in the gig. If you look at how Queen does it, they show old footage,'” Alex said. “And the moment I said we gotta acknowledge Ed, Dave f—in’ popped a fuse… The vitriol that came out was unbelievable.”

The tour never happened, though Alex toldRSit couldn’t have anyway, since his 2022 back injury left him unable to play drums.

Van Halen.Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection via Getty

Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection via Getty

“I’m from the street. ‘You talk to me like that, motherf—er, I’m gonna beat your f—ing brains out. You got it,’” he said of conversations with Roth. “And I mean that. And that’s how it ended. It’s just, my God. It’s like I didn’t know him anymore. I have nothing but the utmost respect for his work ethic and all that. But, Dave, you gotta work as a community, motherf—er. It’s not you alone anymore.”

In a statement, a rep for Roth told PEOPLE Alex’s claims about the tour are “nonsense.”

source: people.com