Ozzy Osbourne To Headline Second Stage

NEW YORK (Ozzy Osbourne Fans Website) - In an OZZfest first, OZZY OSBOURNE has decided not to perform on the main stage at the festival's July 8 stop at San Bernardino, CA's Hyundai Pavilion of Glen Helen. Instead, the rock icon has chosen to get right in the face of fans on the front line by headlining the down and dirty second stage located in a field adjacent to the venue's proper amphitheatre. For each of the last ten years, OZZfest's founder and namesake has headlined the main stage of the summer's premiere touring concert festival. At this time, OZZY is scheduled to headline the main stage at his other nine OZZfest performances slated for this year.

Announcing his decision, OZZY says, "After 10 years of headlining OZZfest's main stage I think it's time for a change. I haven't had a chance to play this close to an audience in years and I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to it. So look out LA."

Following OZZY's second stage debut, OZZfest's main stage lineup features headliner SYSTEM OF A DOWN (who just announced that their shows on Ozzfest 2006 will be the last for the band for some time to come) and such formidable artists as DISTURBED, HATEBREED and LACUNA COIL, with a major main stage addition to be revealed on May 23rd. Marking another OZZfest first, each of this year's announced main stage acts (other than Ozzy himself) started out in Ozzfest's trenches on the second stage and subsequently won the approval of the festival's discerning followers.

This year's second stage will be headlined by the Zakk Wylde-led BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, with such high-decibel bands as ATREYU, UNEARTH, BLEEDING THROUGH, NORMA JEAN, A LIFE ONCE LOST, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, THE RED CHORD, FULL BLOWN CHAOS, WALLS OF JERICHO, ALL THAT REMAINS, BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME and BAD ACID TRIP.

Representing his first solo performances in three years, OZZY will play a total 10 dates on this year's festival route, including the San Bernardino show. OZZY will be accompanied by longtime guitarist Zakk Wylde, marking the 20th anniversary of their work together.