Alex Van Halen reveals he approached Ozzy Osbourne about pitching a Van Halen album. Why it never happened

“It’s something that if it had come to fruition, it would have been phenomenal,” Osbourne said in a new interview with ‘Rolling Stone’.

Wait, Ozzy Osbourne almost sang lead vocals on a Van Halen album?

In a new interview with Rolling StoneAlex Van Halen revealed that the rock band once approached the Black Sabbath musician about introducing a Van Halen album while its members were among the singers in 2001.

The late Eddie Van Halen, who died of cancer aged 65 in October 2020, sang lead for the band from its formation in 1972 until 1974. Since then, the role has been filled by David Lee Roth, Sammy Hagar and Gary Cherone, but around the turn of the millennium, Van Halen was left without a lead singer.

Related: Alex Van Halen Says David Lee Roth’s Wolfgang Van Halen Digs Are a ‘Sign of Respect’

Thus, according to RSAlex and Eddie sat down with Sharon Osbourne, Ozzy’s wife and manager, to talk about the “Crazy Train” singer possibly providing lead vocals on Van Halen’s next album.

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

The hookup didn’t pan out, however, as Ozzy and his family soon signed a deal with MTV for their hit reality show. The Osbourneswhich operated between 2002 and 2005.

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

He added: “Eddie and Alex were great friends of mine for a long time and I’m sorry we never had it together. The Osbournes At that time, unfortunately, it was prevented from creating new music.”

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

Related: Alex Van Halen Says David Lee Roth ‘Blows the Fuse’ on Eddie Van Halen Tribute Idea, Ending Future Tour Plans

“What broke the camel’s back, and I can be honest about it now, was that I said, ‘Dave, at some point, we have to have a very open attitude, not a reverence, but an acknowledgment of Ed at the concert If you watch Queen do it, they show old footage,” Alex said. “And the minute I said we need to acknowledge Ed, Dave blew a fuse… The vitriol that came out was unbelievable “.

The tour never happened, even though Alex said RS There couldn’t be anyway, as his back injury in 2022 left him unable to play drums.

“I’m from the street. “You talk to me like that, mom, I’m going to blow your brains out. You got it,” she said of conversations with Roth. “And I mean this. And that’s how it ended. It’s just, oh my God. It’s like I don’t know him anymore. I have nothing but the utmost respect for his work ethic and all that. But Dave, you’ve got to work as a community, you are no longer alone.”

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

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Read the original article on People.