Former JUDAS PRIEST and current KK’S PRIEST guitarist Kenneth “K.K.” Downing has commented on his participation in BLACK SABBATH‘s upcoming reunion concert event, which will take place on July 5 in the latter band’s original hometown of Birmingham, United Kingdom.

Ozzy Osbourne and the rest of the original BLACK SABBATH lineup — guitarist Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward — will perform one last time as part a fundraising event at Villa Park, featuring a host of bands they inspired, including METALLICA, PANTERA, SLAYER, GOJIRA and ANTHRAX.

The concert, dubbed “Back To The Beginning”, was announced at Villa Park on Wednesday (February 5) by Sharon and Tony.

Proceeds from the show will support Cure Parkinson’s, the Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Acorn Children’s Hospice, a Children’s Hospice supported by Aston Villa.

The concert will mark the first time that Osbourne, Iommi, Butler and Ward have played together in 20 years.

Ozzy, who revealed in 2020 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, will play a short solo set before joining his SABBATH bandmates for the show’s finale, marking his last-ever concert.

In addition, there will be a performance by a “supergroup of musicians” including Downing, Duff McKagan and Slash (GUNS ‘N’ ROSES), Billy Corgan (THE SMASHING PUMPKINS), Fred Durst (LIMP BIZKIT), Jake E. Lee (OZZY OSBOURNE), Wolfgang Van Halen (VAN HALEN, MAMMOTH WVH) and Tom Morello (RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE).

Testerday (Sunday, February 9), Downing released the following statement to BLABBERMOUTH.NET: “This will be an incredibly emotional and historic event! The final farewell to the ultimate gods of metal. BLACK SABBATH and Ozzy will return to their home in Aston, Birmingham, the very place where it all began, and I am deeply honored to be part of this momentous occasion, paying my respects and tribute.

“I vividly remember growing up in the suburbs of Birmingham, England, over 50 years ago and witnessing the emergence of this band that would pioneer a genre of music that had never been heard before,” he continued. “It was more than just music — it was the sound, the performance and the atmosphere that created a phenomenon that was irresistible to fans, and I was one of them. I know firsthand the immense impact BLACK SABBATH has had on the world.

“BLACK SABBATH has carried the flag and the mantle of our beloved music for a lifetime, for this I know we will always be sincerely grateful.

“This event will undoubtedly be one of the most significant and important moments in rock and metal history, and I look forward to standing alongside the fans and fellow musicians to honor the legacy of BLACK SABBATH in the city where it all began,” Downing added.

BLACK SABBATH is considered a pioneer of heavy metal and was formed in 1968 in Aston, Birmingham.

BLACK SABBATH has sold over 75 million albums worldwide and were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2006, awarded a Lifetime Ivor Novello Songwriting Award in 2015 and were presented with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019.

The band has a star on the Broad Street Walk Of Stars in Birmingham, alongside individual stars in their own right, together with a bench in their honor.

Downing left JUDAS PRIEST in 2011 amid claims of band conflict, shoddy management and declining quality of performance. He formed KK’S PRIEST after JUDAS PRIEST turned down his offer to rejoin the band for their 50th-anniversary tour.

In addition to Downing, KK’S PRIEST features former JUDAS PRIEST singer Tim “Ripper” Owens alongside guitarist A.J. Mills (HOSTILE),bassist Tony Newton (VOODOO SIX) and drummer Sean Elg (DEATHRIDERS, CAGE).

KK’S PRIEST‘s second album, “The Sinner Rides Again“, came out in September 2023 via the Austrian label Napalm Records.

Watch “Hymn 66” and“One More Shot At Glory” below.