JUDAS PRIEST:

Just a few days after Judas Priest agreed to perform at the Scorpions 60th anniversary "Coming Home" concert in Hanover, Germany, the band was contacted by Sharon Osbourne.

She wanted the metal icons to be a part of another monumental music event — Black Sabbath's "Back To The Beginning."

The shows, unfortunately, were scheduled for the same day (July 5, 2025).

"We were gutted," Judas Priest bassist Ian Hill told thedeadline.net during an interview earlier this week. "We would have loved to have done it, but we were already committed."

Knowing they wouldn't be able to attend the final performances of Black Sabbath — as a band — and Ozzy Osbourne — as a solo artist — Judas Priest prepared a special tribute.

The band released a video for a cover of Sabbath's "War Pigs."

"It was a great load of fun doing it," Hill said. "I played with my fingers again and a lot of it was ad lib. We kept the structure of the song as much as would could, then went off our own direction in the lead breaks."

"Back To The Beginning" featured some of the biggest artists in hard rock and metal was streamed to audiences world-wide live from Villa Park in Birmingham, England, and raised million of dollars for several organizations, including Cure Parkinson's.

Moved by the outpouring of generosity from the metal community, the members of Priest also wanted to do something to benefit a charity which is very personal to all of them.

"We had this great recording of 'War Pigs,' so why don't we put it out as a single and put some of Ozzy's vocals on there?," Hill said.

Ozzy — who was battling Parkinson's and other issues — wasn't able to travel.

"To have him come to us, that just wasn't in the cards at all," Hill said.

The Osbourne family, though, provided Priest with the vocals for the track.

"We used what they sent us. We are not sure where they came from," Hill said. "Whether he did it especially for this, we don't know."

Osbourne died just 17 days after his final show.

The historic collaboration of metal icons was released on Sept. 26 through Sony Music Entertainment. The epic eight-minute version of "War Pigs" features Priest's Rob Halford and Osbourne trading vocal lines, with guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner shredding through soaring solos.

All proceeds from the single will be donated to The Glenn Tipton Parkinson's Foundation and Cure Parkinson's.

In 2018, Tipton announced he was stepping back from touring because of complications from Parkinson's. The long-time Priest guitarist has played on each of the band's last two studio albums — "Firepower" (2018) and "Invincible Shield" (2024).

"He is on medication, which can prevent the shaking," Hill said of Tipton. "But, it's just a stamina and strength thing. He can't tour anymore. It's a tragedy. He can come out in the encores and play a song or two."

Tipton appeared with the Priest during a July concert at The O2 Arena London, but has not been on stage during the band's current co-headlining tour across North American with Alice Cooper.

The tour is set to roll into Cincinnati's Riverbend Music Center this Saturday, with Corrosion of Conformity also set to perform.

"It's a great bill," Hill said.

Judas Priest and Alice Cooper have shared the bill at festivals and venues around the world for decades.

The tour, though, marks only the second time they've toured together for an extended period of time. The metal legends were part of the Operation Rock & Roll in 1991, along with Motorhead, Dangerous Toys and Metal Church.

"We've know Alice, personally, since then," Hill said of that tour. "Alice and Rob (Halford) bump into each other all the time, because they live not that far from each other in Arizona."

On this tour, Priest is celebrating the 35th anniversary of their landmark album "Painkiller," while also delivering all their classic anthems — like "Breaking the Law," "Living After Midnight," and "You've Got Another Thing Comin'."

"We are a bit restricted on set time with two headliners," Hill said. "So, we are doing five of the nine songs from Painkiller, which ain't bad. They are going over well. Everyone seems happy with it."

The tour is set to run through October.

After that, the band — which formed in 1969 — will begin plans to write and record their 20th studio album.

"It will happen sooner or later," Hill said. "They are plans to maybe start recording in the new year. We will see where it goes.