GLENN HUGHES explains why he declined invitation to join OZZY OSBOURNE's band more than four decades ago
08-09-2025
In a new interview with Metal Mayhem ROC, legendary vocalist/bassist Glenn Hughes was asked how he was affected by the recent passing of BLACK SABBATH‘s iconic singer Ozzy Osbourne. He responded: “I’ve known Ozzy and fellow BLACK SABBATH members Geezer Butler and Tony Iommi and Bill Ward since 1970. They took off that year with ‘Paranoid’, and I was very friendly with them back then. So I’ve known those guys for 55 years. So when we lose someone — we, as the general public, lose someone — we lose icons and famous people. But I’ve lost family members.
“Ozzy was one of my closest friends, especially in the ’70s when we lived eight miles from one another,” Glenn continued. “He spent a lot of time at my house. I spent a lot of time at his house. He wanted me to be in a band with him in 1979 when he left SABBATH. And at that time I didn’t wanna go back to playing bass guitar and singing second vocals, with respect, ’cause I love Ozzy very much. I just wanted to be the Glenn Hughes we all know now — lead-singing bass player. So I had to decline that. But all through these years, Ozzy‘s been very, very close to me.
“Ozzy was one of the most genuine guys you will ever meet — genuine, loving, kind human beings,” Glenn added.
Hughes worked with Iommi on “Seventh Star” (1986),and later reunited with the BLACK SABBATH guitarist for “Fused” (2005),in addition to being featured on the “1996 DEP Sessions” (2004) collection of previously unreleased material.
Glenn Hughes last month shared his single and official visualizer video, “Into The Fade”, taken from his upcoming studio album “Chosen”, released on September 5th, 2025, via Frontiers Music Srl.
Watch “Into The Fade” below.
Glenn stated that the new single is about “a life of acceptance, being here now, and living in the present moment”.
Commenting on the new album, Glenn stated: “Songwriting is deeply personal to me, and l generally write and record when I have something to say. It’s been nine years since I recorded my last solo album, “Resonate”. There have been recordings and collaborations with other artists, since 2016”.
“When writing “Chosen”, I went back to my life drawing board, writing about the human condition, love, hope, faith and acceptance. I write about how I feel on the inside and not externally. My life is lived from within, in the present moment. It’s an album of soul food, and I’ve never been so grateful, right here, on planet earth. Music is the healer!”, he added.
“Chosen” Tracklist:
1. Voice In My Head
2. My Alibi
3. Chosen
4. Heal
5. In The Golden
6. The Lost Parade
7. Hot Damn Thing
8. Black Cat Moan
9. Come And Go
10. Into The Fade
Vocalist/bass guitarist/songwriter Glenn Hughes is a true original. No other rock musician has carved such a distinctive style blending the finest elements of hard rock, soul and funk. That astonishing voice is his calling card. He’s known as a singer’s singer. Stevie Wonder once called Glenn Hughes his favorite white singer.
After a nine years hiatus as a solo artist, Glenn Hughes is back with “Chosen”, his brand-new solo record: an album which presents Glenn in his most hard rockin’ fashion. An explosive record that offers Glenn Hughes at its absolute best with a state-of-the-art album, both from a songwriting and production standpoint. A truly captivating return!
Glenn Hughes, a native of Cannock, England, absorbed all kinds of influences, including early British hard rock, the Beatles and, most importantly, American soul and R&B. The sleek Motown sound from Detroit and the gritty Stax/Volt sound from Memphis left their mark on him.
Glenn Hughes first found success in the early ’70s with the band Trapeze, before joining Deep Purple in 1973 during a pivotal lineup change that introduced him and David Coverdale to the group. Despite initial scepticism, the revamped band silenced critics with the release of “Burn” (1974), a powerful album that revitalized Purple’s sound and remains a classic.
This year will also see Glenn Hughes busy touring across Europe and South America, with “The Chosen Years” tour starting in Zoetermeer, Netherlands, on September 2nd, and ending on November 29th in Bogota, Colombia. For the full list of dates, please see below and HERE.
THE CHOSEN YEARS TOUR 2025:
02/09 – De Boerderij – Zoetermeer, The Netherlands
04/09 – Fabrik – Hamburg, Germany
06/09 – Kulturhaus Stadtgarten – Neuruppin, Germany
08/09 – Klub Studio – Krakow, Poland
10/09 – Progresja – Warsaw, Poland
12/09 – Alter Schlachthof – Dresden, Germany
14/09 – Club Vaudeville – Lindau, Germany
16/09 – Hirsch – Nuremberg, Germany
17/09 – Spectrum – Augsburg, Germany
19/09 – Muziekgieterij – Maastricht, Netherlands
20/09 – Doornroosje – Nijmegen, Netherlands
22/09 – Capitol – Mannheim, Germany
24/09 – Z7 – Pratteln, Switzerland
26/09 – Festiviteten Bar & Scene – Hamar, Norway
28/09 – Byscenen – Trondheim, Norway
30/09 – Hyvinkääsali – Hyvinkää, Finland
01/10 – Tampere-Talo – Tampere, Finland
03/10 – Kulttuuritalo – Helsinki, Finland
04/10 – Madetojansali – Oulu, Finland
14/10 – O2 Academy – Bristol, UK
15/10 – Guildhall – Portsmouth, UK
17/10 – KK’s Steel Mill – Wolverhampton, UK
18/10 – O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire – London, UK
21/10 – O2 Ritz – Manchester, UK
22/10 – Boiler Shop – Newcastle, UK
24/10 – Rock City – Nottingham, UK
25/10 – The Garage – Glasgow, UK
11/11 – Opinião – Porto Alegre, Brazil
13/11 – Mister Rock – Belo Horizonte, Brazil
14/11 – Circo Voador – Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
16/11 – Vip Station – São Paulo, Brazil
18/11 – Tork n’ Roll – Curitiba, Brazil
20/11 – Abbey Road – Mar Del Plata, Argentina
21/11 – Arena Sur – Buenos Aires, Argentina
23/11 – Club Paraguay – Córdoba, Argentina
25/11 – Teatro del Huerto – Salta, Argentina
27/11 – Teatro Coliseo – Santiago, Chile
29/11 – Teatro C.E.G – Bogota, Colombia
TICKETS HERE
