Alex Van Halen recently revealed how close Eddie Van Halen and Ozzy Osbourne came to collaborating on a record together. He shared details about the failed plans in an interview with Kazagastão.
Album plans with Eddie Van Halen and Ozzy Osbourne
Alex Van Halen said he and Eddie met with Sharon Osbourne at a time when they were unsure about the band’s next direction. He described the meeting as an important, candid discussion, praising Sharon as a strong and capable presence who had successfully navigated a male-dominated industry, and noting how close the potential collaboration came to becoming reality.
“Ed and I met with Sharon [Osbourne, Ozzy’s wife and manager], because we were kind of at a loss as to which direction we wanted to go,” Alex Van Halen said. “So we sat with Sharon. I mean, it was kind of an interesting evening because she’s a lovely lady. I don’t know what people would say about her, but she’s a lovely lady who really had to fend for herself in a male-dominated world.”
Alex Van Halen said the project was essentially agreed upon, but it fell apart at the last moment when the other party got sidetracked by a TV show meeting the next day, and the collaboration never happened.
“The final thing we talked about was, she says, ‘Okay, it sounds like a good idea. Let’s do that. Let’s make a record together. Only one thing. I have a meeting tomorrow with some people about a television show,’” he continued. “And the rest is history. That’s how close it got.”
The meeting occurred around 2000, when Van Halen was experiencing significant lineup turmoil after splitting with Gary Cherone following the Van Halen III album. This was before their eventual reunion with Sammy Hagar. The band was at a crossroads, searching for a new direction that could revitalize their career.