Latest news with #Tool
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Sharon Osbourne AXES huge rock band from husband Ozzy's final Black Sabbath gig line-up after furious bust-up
Sharon Osbourne reveealed she has axed a huge rock band from her husband Ozzy's final Black Sabbath gig. Black Sabbath are set to take to the stage for the first time in two decades for their last ever performance. Their Back to the Beginning show takes place on July 5 in Birmingham 's Villa Park and is expected to include performances from Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, and Gojira. But as the date approaches, The wife and manager of Ozzy has revealed there is some backstage drama. In an interview with Metal Hammer, Sharon, 72, said she booted off an unnamed group from the line-up after an argument with the act's manager. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the Daily Mail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. She told the publication: 'I had a huge, huge to-do with a manager over this celebration for Ozzy and Sabbath. 'And it was probably the worst way I've felt in years. And I don't care what this person says about me, thinks about it, because he doesn't know me. And he's now going around making up bulls**t lies because I threw his band off the bill.' The star continued: 'I don't care what people say. Because do you know what? I don't love them. I care about people who love me, what they say about me. You can't care what an industry says, because you don't love them, so how can it hurt you? It doesn't.' While Sharon kept tight-lipped, there was speculation that she was referring to Tool, whose name was mysteriously vanished from the official livestream promotion. However, it has since been confirmed that the band will still play and it turned out to be a design oversight. It comes after Ozzy insisted that he will perform at what is being billed at his final concert in July, despite concerns about his ailing health. The rock legend, 76, has undergone seven surgeries in the past five years, including a fourth spinal operation in September 2023, and has been privately battling Parkinson's disease since 2003. However, despite being plagued by a string of health issues, Ozzy defiantly told The Guardian: 'I'll be there, and I'll do the best I can. So all I can do is turn up.' Despite Ozzy's insistence, Tool front man Maynard James Keenan has expressed his doubts about whether the rocker will actually make it. He said of the gigs, which his band are also playing: 'I'm cautious about saying, "Yeah! All in, he's gonna do it". I don't know what kind of modern miracles we'll come up with to get him on stage to do the songs, but this is gonna be a challenge for them. So, I'm honoured to be a part of it, but I'm kinda preparing for the worst, but hoping for the best.' But Ozzy is well aware of the toll that the concert will take and has been physically and mentally preparing himself for it, with his wife Sharon noting that the gig is a 'reason to get up in the morning'. Explaining his preparation, he shared: 'I do weights, bike riding, I've got a guy living at my house who's working with me. It's tough – I've been laid up for such a long time. I've been lying on my back doing nothing and the first thing to go is your strength. It's like starting all over again.' The singer has also enlisted a vocal coach to ensure his voice is up to scratch for the big day. Despite his enthusiasm, Ozzy admitted that he won't be very active on stage and 'may be sitting down' as he noted further health problems including problems with walking and blood clots on his legs that lead to blood pressure issues. Back in 2020, Ozzy candidly spoke about his health, admitting he is in 'unbelievable pain 24/7'. The rocker who had recently been diagnosed with Parkinson's at the time, says a nasty fall in 2019 aggravated a neck injury from his 2003 quad bike accident. At the time, Ozzy said the crippling nerve damage is the reason why he made the decision to call off his North American leg of his No More Tours 2 tour, so he could seek further treatment in Switzerland. 'If I had a choice between the Parkinson's and the f***ing neck, I'd go for the Parkinson's, I've been laid up for a year now', Ozzy told The Sun. 'First I had an infection in my hand — that pulled me off the road — then I got pneumonia, then I had the fall, then I had surgery and here I am today, it's driving me nuts.' His upcoming 2025 concert was first announced back in February with Ozzy's wife Sharon and the band's guitarist Tony Iommi at the big reveal at the concert's venue, Villa Park. The show will feature Ozzy, Tommy, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward. The group pioneered heavy metal music in the early 1970s with hits such as War Pigs, Paranoid and Iron Man. Since their last gig together in 2005, Black Sabbath has played in partial reunions but never in their original line-up. Top a line-up of rock and heavy metal icons will include sets from the likes of Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Alice in Chains, Lamb Of God, Anthrax, Gojira, Halestorm and Mastodon. The all-day event will also feature a supergroup of musicians. Artists announced so far include Billy Corgan (The Smashing Pumpkins), David Draiman (Disturbed), Duff McKagan, Frank Bello (Anthrax), Fred Durst (Limp Bizkit), Jake E Lee, Jonathan Davis (Korn), KK Downing and Lzzy Hale (Halestorm). Profits from the show will be shared equally between the following charities: Cure Parkinson's, Birmingham Children's Hospital and Acorn Children's Hospice, a Children's Hospice supported by Aston Villa. Ozzy, the group's charismatic frontman who left the band in 1979 due to drug and alcohol problems and went on to pursue a highly successful solo career, said in 2020 he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. The all-star event will celebrate the true creators of heavy metal and will see Ozzy play his own short set before joining with Black Sabbath for his final bow. He said in a statement: 'It's ... time for me to give back to the place where I was born. How blessed am I to do it with the help of people whom I love. Birmingham is the true home of metal.' Formed in Birmingham in 1968 and going on to become one of most successful metal bands of all time, Black Sabbath have sold over 75 million albums worldwide across their legendary career. Setting the blueprint for the many routes heavy metal took, Black Sabbath's influence and importance is as vital today as it was in the early 1970s.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Maynard James Keenan Says ‘Modern Miracles' Might Be Required for Ozzy Osbourne to Perform at Final Show
Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan has expressed an air of concern about what to expect from Ozzy Osbourne's final performance this July. Keenan and his Tool bandmates are one of the many acts scheduled to appear at the Back to the Beginning concert, which takes place in Birmingham, England on July 5. The event will feature names such as Osbourne's own Black Sabbath performing their final-ever show, while acts such as Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, Alice in Chains, and myriad others join the bill. More from Billboard Former MTV VJ Matt Pinfield Shares New Recovery Update Following Stroke Outkast, The White Stripes, Soundgarden, Chubby Checker & More to Join 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Class: Full List Fans Choose Benson Boone's 'Mystical Magical' as This Week's Favorite New Music While Osbourne hasn't performed a full set since Dec. 31, 2018 – two months before his diagnosis of Parkinson's – he's previously tempered expectations for the upcoming gig, noting he isn't 'planning on doing a set with Black Sabbath,' but rather 'little bits and pieces' with the group. 'I am doing what I can, where I feel comfortable,' he explained. Despite this, Osbourne told fans only last week that he's been undertaking 'endurance training' ahead of the gig in an effort to 'wake up' his body after years spent recovering from numerous surgeries. 'I haven't done anything for, this will be seven years, and so I've been through all this surgery,' he explained. 'It really is like starting from scratch.' While Osbourne was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in October 2024 as a solo artist (he was previously inducted as a member of Black Sabbath in 2006), Keenan was on hand with the likes of Wolfgang Van Halen, Billy Idol, and Jelly Roll to perform a tribute set to honor his legacy. Speaking to the Loudwire Nights podcast recently, Keenan noted that his experience with Osbourne at the induction ceremony has left him unsure of what to expect at the July event. 'I think for me, seeing Ozzy moving around at [the Rock Hall ceremony], the idea of him playing a show at all, if we're being honest, the conversation about going to do the song was just like, 'We'll have this conversation, but, ahh… I don't know that this [concert] gonna happen,'' Keenan told the podcast.. 'And even now, I'm cautious about saying, 'Yeah! All in, he's gonna do it.' Because man, I don't know what kind of modern miracles we'll come up with to get him on stage to do the songs, but this is gonna be a challenge for them.' Keenan closed by noting he feels privileged to be included in the forthcoming event, though added he's 'preparing for the worst, but hoping for the best.' Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello will be the musical director for the show that will mark Osbourne's first time on stage since a brief 2022 set at the NFL Kickoff in Los Angeles; his last full show was in December 2018 at the Forum in L.A. as part of his No More Tours 2 outing. Other acts slated to perform at the final Sabbath blowout include: Halestorm, Gojira, as well as appearances by Smashing Pumpkins leader Billy Corgan, Guns N' Roses' Duff McKagan and Slash, Wolfgang Van Halen, Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst, Lzzy Hale, Disturbed's David Draiman, Korn's Jonathan Davis, Sammy Hagar and many more. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
Perth Now
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Maynard James Keenan: Ozzy Osbourne needs 'modern miracles'
Maynard James Keenan thinks it will take "modern miracles" for Ozzy Osbourne to perform on stage at Black Sabbath's final concert. The Tool frontman is one of many artists who will be performing at the 'Paranoid' rockers' 'Back To The Beginning' show at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, on 5 July and having seen Ozzy - who has had neck and spinal issues, as well as Parkinson's disease, and sometimes uses a wheelchair as a result of his mobility problems - struggling at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony last year, Maynard is "preparing for the worst but hoping for the best" at the gig. Speaking to Loudwire Nights, he said: 'I think for me, seeing Ozzy moving around at [the Hall of Fame ceremony], the idea of him playing a show at all, if we're being honest, the conversation about going to do the song was like, 'We'll have this conversation, but, ahh… I don't know that this [concert] gonna happen.' 'And even now, I'm cautious about saying, 'Yeah! All in, he's gonna do it.' Because man, I don't know what kind of modern miracles we'll come up with to get him on stage to do the songs, but this is gonna be a challenge for them. "So, I'm honoured to be a part of it, but I'm kinda preparing for the worst – but hoping for the best, as they say.' Maynard first heard about the concert at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony and was originally expecting to be part of a supergroup before Tool were invited onto the bill. He said: 'The conversation first came up when I was at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, hanging out with Wolfgang [Van Halen] and some of the guys, I think even [Metallica bassist] Robert Trujillo. 'We were on the travel over there, just going, 'OK, well, there's a rumour about the Black Sabbath show.' I was like, 'Well, let's do something.' So I kinda had planned a song to do and all of a sudden I'm at home and I get the call, 'Hey, Tool's been asked to do a song,' and I'm like 'F***.' Now I have to call back Wolfgang and those guys and go, 'I'm going to do it with Tool, sorry.' "
Globe and Mail
17-04-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle's $500B Stargate Project Eyes Future UK Investment
President Donald Trump's ambitious $500 billion Stargate Project is eyeing future investment potential in the UK, according to the Financial Times. The Stargate project is backed by Japan's SoftBank Group (SFTBY), Oracle (ORCL), and artificial intelligence (AI) magnate OpenAI. The companies are looking for investments outside of the U.S. for building the global infrastructure required to support powerful AI models. Stay Ahead of the Market: Discover outperforming stocks and invest smarter with Top Smart Score Stocks. Filter, analyze, and streamline your search for investment opportunities using Tipranks' Stock Screener. UK Aims to Become an Emerging Global Hub for AI UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is promoting the country as the emerging global hub for AI opportunities, with the aim to establish the UK as an AI 'superpower.' The country is promising access to vast energy resources, availability of public data for model training, as well as creating dedicated data center zones for infrastructure development. Meanwhile, Germany and France are also looking as strong investment candidates, thanks to their tremendous electricity supply. The report added that the international expansion will only happen if the project back in the States proves successful. Sam Altman-led OpenAI has touted the UK as one of its next favored destinations for expanding AI investments. In February, Altman said that he would love to do a 'Stargate Europe' project. The AI startup has already spread its wings across the European continent, with offices in London, Paris, Brussels, and Munich. The Microsoft (MSFT) backed company has also lobbied European authorities to relax their laws surrounding AI development. According to the report, the European Commission recently announced plans to boost its AI data center investments and simplify rules around its AI Act to accelerate development in the sector. Launched in January 2025, the Stargate Project plans to invest up to $100 billion in data center infrastructure during its initial phase, with an aim to invest a total of $500 billion over the next four years. Construction is already underway on the first data center plant in Abilene, Texas, and the team is looking at 16 other states as potential sites for future buildings. SoftBank is leading the first round of funding, and is strategizing to invest capital through both equity and debt channels. However, Trump's sweeping tariffs threaten to disrupt Stargate's ambitions, as they stand to jeopardize global supply chains and hike up the prices of goods imported to the U.S. Which Stocks Will Benefit from Stargate? We used TipRanks Stock Comparison Tool to identify which company among the potential beneficiaries of Project Stargate is the most favored by analysts. Investors can choose to invest in any of these companies after thorough research. Currently, Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM), Nvidia (NVDA), and Microsoft score Wall Street's 'Strong Buy' consensus rating, with NVDA stock offering the highest upside potential among them.
Chicago Tribune
17-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Today in History: Boston Marathon allows women to compete
Today is Thursday, April 17, the 107th day of 2025. There are 258 days left in the year. Today in history: On April 17, 1972, the Boston Marathon allowed women to compete for the first time. Nina Kuscsik was the first officially recognized women's champion, with a time of 3:10:26. Also on this date: In 1961, some 1,400 CIA-trained Cuban exiles launched the Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba in an attempt to topple Fidel Castro, whose forces crushed the incursion within three days. In 1964, Jerrie Mock completed the first solo around-the-world flight by a woman, landing her single-engine Cessna plane in Columbus, Ohio after a 29-day journey. In 1969, a jury in Los Angeles convicted Sirhan Sirhan of assassinating Sen. Robert F. Kennedy. (Sirhan's death sentence would be commuted to life in prison with the possibility of parole. He remains in prison today.) In 1970, Apollo 13 astronauts James A. Lovell, Fred W. Haise and Jack Swigert splashed down safely in the Pacific, four days after a ruptured oxygen tank crippled their spacecraft while enroute to the moon. In 1975, Cambodia's five-year civil war ended as the capital Phnom Penh fell to the Khmer Rouge, which instituted brutal, radical policies that claimed an estimated 1.7 million lives (nearly one in four Cambodians) until the regime was overthrown in 1979. In 1991, the Dow Jones industrial average closed above 3,000 for the first time, ending the day at 3,004.46, up 17.58. In 1993, a federal jury in Los Angeles convicted two former police officers of violating the civil rights of beaten motorist Rodney King. Two other officers were acquitted. In 2020, President Donald Trump, via Twitter, urged supporters to 'LIBERATE' three states led by Democratic governors, apparently encouraging protests against stay-at-home mandates aimed at stopping the coronavirus. Today's Birthdays: Actor David Bradley is 83. Actor Clarke Peters is 73. Author Nick Hornby is 68. Actor Sean Bean is 66. Rock singer Maynard James Keenan (Tool) is 61. Actor Lela Rochon is 61. Actor Kimberly Elise is 58. Singer-songwriter Liz Phair is 58. Director-producer Adam McKay is 57. Rapper-actor Redman is 55. Football Hall of Famer Tony Boselli is 53. Actor Jennifer Garner is 53. Singer Victoria Beckham is 51. Actor Rooney Mara is 40.
