Judas Priest releases Ozzy Osbourne charity single to raise funds for Parkinson's charities

Judas Priest released a charity single featuring the late Ozzy Osbourne to raise funds for Parkinson's disease charities. The track reimagines Black Sabbath’s War Pigs and was issued with all profits directed to the Glenn Tipton Parkinson's Foundation and Cure Parkinson's, organizations named after the band's longtime guitarist who also lives with the disease.

On guitar, Glenn Tipton, who has Parkinson's, joins Rob Halford with Ozzy Osbourne delivering alternating vocal lines for the new recording. The project began as a tribute video honoring Osbourne and Black Sabbath and evolved into a charitable single after Judas Priest decided to shift the effort toward fundraising for Parkinsons related causes.

The collaboration arrives as Osbourne's wider legacy in metal history remains tied to a storied era of heavy music. Osbourne, whose death followed by weeks a farewell gig at Aston Villa, had earlier appeared as part of a star studded Back To The Beginning concert in July, joining the original Black Sabbath lineup on stage for a final performance that also featured other acts such as Anthrax, Metallica and Guns N Roses.

In the wake of Osbourne's death on 22 July, family and fans paid tribute in Birmingham. Osbourne's widow Sharon and his children Aimee, Jack and Kelly visited floral tributes laid at the Black Sabbath bridge as a cortege wound through the streets of his home city, marking a poignant moment in the wake of his passing.

The Friday release of the charity single underscores the enduring connections within the metal community. Judas Priest, formed in Birmingham in the 1960s, has long balanced stage triumphs with philanthropy, and this project aligns with a tradition of artists channeling their platform for charitable work. Proceeds from the single will support Parkinson's disease charities in the hope of advancing research and patient support.

The move also adds to the ongoing narrative of Black Sabbath's influence in metal, with Osbourne's death prompting renewed attention to the band's legacy and its members. While War Pigs has lived in the pantheon of metal anthems, the Priest Osbourne version reframes the song as a fundraising vehicle, inviting fans to participate in a cause that touches a number of families associated with the genre.

BBC News reported the release and context of the charity single, highlighting the collaboration across decades of metal and the intention to use music to drive support for Parkinson's charities. The track stands as a cross generational moment within the Birmingham metal scene, reflecting both personal tolls of the illness and the community's commitment to aiding others facing the disease.