Latest news with #TheEnd
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
This Isn't the First Time These Hard Rock Legends Have Said Goodbye
This Isn't the First Time These Hard Rock Legends Have Said Goodbye originally appeared on Parade. With the big "Back to the Beginning" farewell /Black Sabbath concert extravaganza set for July 5, fans might recall that this isn't the first time that the iconic frontman and hard rock legends have said goodbye. Back in 2016, the band was on a tour billed as 'The End,' to support their 2013 album 13. That album opens with a song titled 'End of the Beginning,' in which Osbourne sings 'Is this the end of the beginning or the beginning of the end?' 🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 Back then, Black Sabbath discussed doing one final album followed by another tour but decided to scrap their plans for another studio effort and instead opted to hit the road on a four-leg trek that hit Australia and New Zealand, then Europe, before closing in North America. In advance of that tour, this writer interviewed Osbourne and bassist/lyricist for Yahoo! Music in Osbourne's office, in the back of his Beverly Hills estate. Both Sabbath legends said during that interview the decision to forgo another studio effort came down primarily to a matter of time. 'It would have taken another three years to write and record another album,' Osbourne explained. 'We just felt we wanted to tour.'Back in 2016, Osbourne was already talking like the band was finished after 'The End' tour. 'I'm glad we're all still alive. I'm glad we can still play. I'm glad that we all still want to play, and I'm glad it's the end because we didn't want to fizzle out,' he added. 'To end up with a final thing with the guys I started off with is great. I'm not saying I'm retiring, because I'm still going to be doing some kind of musical thing, but it's been a great journey. We never thought when we first went into the studio in 1969, early 1970, that we were going to last five years, and here we are nearly 50 years up the road and we're still active. That's what really is important to me. "One of my favorite things is we weren't a band that was created by some business guy in London,' Osbourne continued. 'We're four guys. I was in a band with Terry [Geezer], [guitarist] Tony [Iommi] was in a band with [drummer] Bill [Ward]. I went to school with Tony. We came from a three-mile radius of each other, and we formed a band to have a bit of fun and here we are on this amazing journey. I'm glad it's coming to an end on a high note, for a change.' This Isn't the First Time These Hard Rock Legends Have Said Goodbye first appeared on Parade on Jul 4, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 4, 2025, where it first appeared. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Black Sabbath Bassist Recalls Final Gig and 57-Year Friendship with Ozzy Osbourne: ‘I Wasn't Prepared to See How Frail He Was'
'I am so privileged to have spent most of my life with him," Terence 'Geezer' Butler said of his late bandmate and friend While the world mourns the Prince of Darkness Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath's Terence 'Geezer' Butler is mourning the 'Prince of Laughter' — his friend and bandmate of nearly six decades. Just weeks after the curtains closed on the pioneering rock band's final gig together, frontman Osbourne died at age 76 on July 22. Now, in an essay for The Sunday Times, the bassist, 76, pulled back the curtain on his '57 incredible years of friendship' with Osbourne — from the band's formation to its farewell concert. The Birmingham native, who formed Black Sabbath in 1968 alongside Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi and drummer Bill Ward, began the tribute by detailing his and Osbourne's long history with Villa Park. Butler and Osbourne both grew up near the Birmingham soccer stadium. In 2024, the stadium's team, Aston Villa, reunited the rockers for an ad. (Prior to the spot, Butler 'hadn't seen or spoken to Ozzy since Black Sabbath's The End tour in 2017,' he said.) 'So it was quite fitting, for Ozzy and Black Sabbath to end the long journey from our beginning in 1968 to our final show back in Aston at Villa Park, on July 5," he wrote. Still, Butler added, 'I didn't realize then that I would never see Ozzy again after that night.' Rehearsals for the final gig, Butler said, began a month out, with just himself, Iommi and Ward to start — and they were a bit rough at first. 'Then it was time for Ozzy to join us,' he explained. 'I knew he wasn't in good health, but I wasn't prepared to see how frail he was,' the bassist recalled in the essay. 'He was helped into the rehearsal room by two helpers and a nurse and was using a cane — being Ozzy, the cane was black and studded with gold and precious stones.' 'He didn't really say much beyond the usual greetings, and when he sang, he sat in a chair,' Butler continued. 'We ran through the songs, but we could see it was exhausting him after six or seven songs. We had a bit of a chat, but he was really quiet compared with the Ozzy of old.' But 'the strangest part of that show,' the bassist revealed, 'was the end.' 'Normally, we would all hug each other and take a bow to the audience,' Butler said. 'But Ozzy was on his throne and we hadn't thought that out. What do we do? Tony shook his hand, I presented him with a cake, but it was such a strange feeling to end our story like that. I wish I'd had more time backstage with Ozzy, but wishes are redundant now. As Ozzy used to say: 'Wish in one hand and shit in the other and see which comes first.' ' Butler also shared more insight into his relationship with the 'Crazy Train' singer, including their first time meeting, which doubles as the beginning of Black Sabbath's formation. The band, originally called Earth, was 'the most incredible journey of our lives,' the bassist said. And it all began with Osbourne arriving barefoot on his doorstep, and Butler almost immediately declaring, 'Okay, you're in the band.' Along with Iommi, 77, and Ward, 77, the foursome 'became inseparable brothers in arms,' Butler said, 'always looking out for each other.' There 'was always an invisible link between Ozzy, Tony, Bill and me,' he added in the emotional essay. 'We had gone through the best of times and the worst of times; the bond was unbreakable.' 'To me, Ozzy wasn't the Prince of Darkness — if anything, he was the Prince of Laughter. He'd do anything for a laugh, a born entertainer,' Butler wrote of Osbourne. The rock legend's reputation as a 'feral wild man,' he added in the essay, did not detract from the fact that he 'had a heart of pure gold.' 'Most of his infamous antics — the bat saga, biting the head off a dove, pissing on the Alamo, snorting lines of ants, and the rest — came in his solo years, away from the restraints of the Sabbath crew,' Butler said. 'But if you were a friend in need, Ozzy was always there for you.' When Butler's son 'was born with a heart defect,' he offered as an example, 'Ozzy called me every day to see how I was coping, even though we hadn't spoken for a year.' 'Nobody knew he'd be gone from us little more than two weeks after the final show. But I am so grateful we got to play one last time together in front of his beloved fans,' the bassist wrote. 'The love from the fans and all the bands, musicians, singers and solo artists that night was incredible. Everyone had come to pay homage to the Prince.' 'I am so privileged to have spent most of my life with him,' he continued. 'Of course, there are millions of things I will think of that I should have written, but how can I sum up 57 incredible years of friendship in a few paragraphs? God bless, Oz, it has been one hell of a ride! Love you!' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. All three of Osbourne's Black Sabbath bandmates shared heartfelt tributes to the beloved rocker following his death, with Iommi writing, 'It's just such heartbreaking news that I can't really find the words, there won't ever be another like him.' Meanwhile, Ward wrote, in part: 'Where will I find you now? In the memories, our unspoken embraces, our missed phone calls, no, you're forever in my heart.' Read the original article on People
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Spinal Tap goes viral, Kate Bush-style, in upcoming sequel
Ask anyone on the street about the upcoming sequel to Spinal Tap, and they'd probably look at you quite strangely. Believe us, we know. For months, we've been conducting surveys with street people regarding the cultural awareness of Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, and most respond with a casual, 'Oh, didn't hear about that one.' Part of that is because much of the excitement surrounding Spinal Tap these days is focused on the re-release of the original This Is Spinal Tap in honor of the film's 41st anniversary. The other half is that there hasn't been that much promotion regarding the film, its plot, or its release since its announcement. But The End will continue this fall, when Spinal Tap II hits theaters, hopefully to reviews that warrant a little more than two words. Ahead of the re-release and the new film, director and co-star Rob Reiner, who plays Marty DiBergi, the diegetic director of the movie within the movie, shared the set-up for the sequel with Collider and explained why this is all Kate Bush's fault. Reiner says that the film opens 15 years after Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest), David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean), and Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) last played together. Not only had they not played together, but 'they were not talking to each other. It was bad blood.' Over the course of the film, we find out what caused the bad blood, but more interestingly, why they decided to get the band back together. Following the death of their manager, Ian Faith (played by the late Tony Hendra in This Is Spinal Tap), Faith's daughter is bequeathed the group's contract, which stipulates one more performance. Reiner continues: [Hope] thinks, 'Well, this is worthless because they haven't played in 15 years. Who knows about these guys?' Then we thought of Kate Bush, who had a song of hers on that show, Stranger Things. All of a sudden, there was a resurgence of this song and her and everything. We said, 'That's it.' We get a famous rocker or somebody to be screwing around in a soundcheck, sings a song of Tap's, somebody catches it on an iPhone, sticks it up on TikTok, it goes viral, and all of a sudden this last concert becomes valuable. That became the premise of the film. That's as much as I can tell you, but that's how we came up with the idea. We can't wait to see what streaming series caused 'Sex Farm' to break like the wind on TikTok, but as far as premises for a legacy sequel to a landmark mockumentary goes, that's not the worst in the world. Spinal Tap II: The End Continues is gonna rock you in theaters on September 12. Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated that Ian Faith played Tony Hendra. This was incorrect. The late Tony Hendra played the character Ian Faith in This Is Spinal Tap. This has been corrected throughout. We regret the error. More from A.V. Club Superman gets a big, blue reboot that supercharges a beleaguered genre Spoiler Space: Jurassic World Rebirth once again makes dinosaurs everyone's problem Federal court of appeals unsubscribes Americans from "Click to Cancel" Solve the daily Crossword
Canberra Times
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Canberra Times
The shock advice Ozzy Osbourne gave to Canberra's heavy metal kid Callum McPhie
At the time, Callum was just "super happy" to meet his idol and watch him before with Black Sabbath, the tour called The End because the band members presciently knew it would be their final shows in Australia.
The Star
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Hush The Theatre debuts its Children's Theatre Festival with three quirky shows
This weekend, Hush The Theatre opens its doors to families for its first-ever Children's Theatre Festival – an event bursting with colour, laughter, and playfulness. Designed for children but sure to charm adults too, it proves that the best theatre doesn't always have to be quiet, but can be loud, joyful, and wonderfully spontaneous. The independent theatre group, based in Glomac Damansara, Kuala Lumpur, will stage three original productions, mixing music, slapstick, mime and more. The public can catch The Non-Essentials and Crayons Gone Wild! this Saturday (July 19), while Bohemian Kats: The Great Escape takes the stage on Sunday (July 20). 'I was always keen on producing theatre for kids and families because I believe in the power of theatre,' said Sharanya Radhakrishnan, Hush The Theatre founder, who wrote and directed all the shows. 'Children's theatre can speak to everyone in the room no matter their ages. When I was young, I was bullied and became extremely shy. Studying theatre is what pulled me out of my shyness and saved my life. I believe that putting a smile on a child's face, even for just a few seconds, can help them feel included,' she added. The three productions were staged separately just a few months ago, and the Children's Theatre Festival is where they finally come together – creating one lively weekend of shared stories, laughter, and discovery. 'There's something really exciting about blurring those lines, between adult and child, comedy and heartbreak, polished and spontaneous,' says Sharanya. Photo: Hush The Theatre (Next week, extra shows reserved for children's NGOs and community groups will further Hush's mission to make theatre accessible to all.) 'We saw really mixed audiences, parents who came for Crayons Gone Wild! ended up buying tickets for The Non-Essentials, and adults who came for Bohemian Kats were surprised at how much they enjoyed something made for kids. This blend is exactly what I hope to keep growing,' said Sharanya. Each show promises plenty of fun and mayhem. Crayons Gone Wild! asks what happens when a box of crayons decides they have had enough of being scribbled about without having a say. What follows is a riot of colours, chaos and heart. The Non-Essentials flips the spotlight onto characters usually left backstage, background trees, castle guards, even 'The End', as they audition for their moment to finally take centre stage. Bohemian Kats is exactly as offbeat as it sounds, a wordless, physical theatre romp where a group of rebellious meerkats break out of the zoo and boogie their way to freedom to the soundtrack of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody. 'Bohemian Kats: The Great Escape' a performance set entirely to the timeless music of Queen. Photo: Hush The Theatre Behind the festival is Hush's Resident Actor Programme, Sharanya's passion project to nurture original, inclusive theatre and support young talent. The cast – Putrina Rafie, Naveen Raja, Lew Li Ling, Qayleef, and Deena Dakshini – each bring their own spark, from improv comedy to dance and movement. Putrina and Naveen have spent the past few years making their mark in theatre, while the rest of the cast are promising new voices finding their footing. 'The goal for the Resident Actor Programme was simple. It was my way of creating a safe but slightly chaotic space where emerging actors can help bring my original children's scripts to life,' said Sharanya. 'They (the cast) bring unfiltered energy to the table and they're not afraid to try something completely ridiculous and turn it into something meaningful. It's this spirit of playful risk-taking that Sharanya believes gives each show its spark. 'As a director, I've learned not everything needs to be polished from the start. The best moments often come from silly improv. If we can make a six-year-old and a thirty-six-year-old laugh at the same scene, we're on the right track,' she concluded. More info here.
