# One Last Ride for Legendary Ozzy Osbourne: Jake E. Lee and Rob Halford’s Epic Collaboration Sparks Massive Reaction
**Birmingham, England – July 30, 2025** – The streets of Aston, the gritty cradle of heavy metal, fell silent under a veil of pink fog and flickering stage lights as thousands lined the procession route for Ozzy Osbourne’s final farewell. Just weeks after his death on July 22 at age 76, the Prince of Darkness took one last ride through his hometown, his hearse draped in Black Sabbath banners and bat-wing motifs, passing his childhood home on Lodge Road. “Birmingham will always love you,” a mourner whispered, as chants of “Crazy Train” echoed off the terraced houses. But amid the grief, a thunderous spark ignited: news of a surprise collaboration between Ozzy’s former guitarist Jake E. Lee and Judas Priest’s iconic frontman Rob Halford, set to headline a tribute concert honoring the fallen legend.
The announcement, dropped like a riff from “Bark at the Moon,” exploded across social media and metal forums just hours before the funeral cortège rolled out. “Jake and Rob? This is the send-off Ozzy deserves – pure fire!” tweeted @MetalMayhemFan, capturing the frenzy that saw #OzzyTribute trend worldwide with over 2 million posts. Lee’s blistering solos from Ozzy’s 1980s heyday – think the shredding fury of “Flying High Again” – paired with Halford’s operatic wail, the Metal God himself? Fans lost it. “It’s like Randy Rhoads meets ‘Painkiller’ – Ozzy’s smiling from hell right now,” posted @SabbathSlayer, racking up 50K likes.
The collaboration, dubbed “Osbourne Eternal,” was born in the shadows of Ozzy’s “Back to the Beginning” finale on July 5 at Villa Park – the epic, 11-hour benefit bash that reunited Black Sabbath’s original lineup for what proved Ozzy’s last stand. Seated on a bat throne amid Parkinson’s frailties, Ozzy delivered a raw set of solo hits like “Mama, I’m Coming Home” and Sabbath classics including a heart-wrenching “Paranoid.” Guests like Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, and Zakk Wylde tore the stage apart, but it was Lee’s unannounced cameo – ripping into “Mr. Crowley” with Wylde – that hinted at deeper reunions. Halford, who performed “Breaking the Law” earlier, shared a backstage embrace with Lee, whispering, “For Ozzy – one more ride.” Insiders say the pair jammed post-show, forging a track blending Lee’s bluesy metal edge with Halford’s soaring falsetto.
Now, confirmed for **November 15, 2025, at Birmingham’s Utilita Arena**, the tribute – “One Last Ride: Ozzy Eternal” – promises all-star chaos. Proceeds benefit Cure Parkinson’s and Birmingham Children’s Hospital, charities Ozzy championed. “This isn’t goodbye; it’s the encore he never got,” Halford told Rolling Stone, his voice cracking. Lee, long overshadowed in Ozzy lore, added, “Rob gets it – the madness, the magic. We’re channeling that Brummie spirit.”
The reaction? Volcanic. X (formerly Twitter) lit up with fan art of Ozzy headbanging in the afterlife, memes of bats invading Priest’s stage, and petitions for a full Ozzy supergroup. “Jake E. Lee finally gets his flowers, and with Halford? Iconic,” raved @RockHistories. Sales for the event shattered records, with 15,000 tickets gone in minutes. Veterans like Geezer Butler and Tony Iommi teased appearances, while younger acts like Gojira pledged covers.
As the cortège vanished into Aston’s mist, a lone guitarist – rumored to be Lee – played “Iron Man” from a rooftop. Ozzy’s era ends, but his fire? It’s just getting reloaded. Metal never dies; it evolves. And tonight, in Birmingham’s beating heart, it roars louder than ever.
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