Were You There? Ozzy Osbourne, RPI Field House (1996)

Millions of metal fans celebrated the final live performance of Ozzy Osbourne during the "Back to the Beginning” global concert event this summer. The celebration culminated with the last-ever reunion of Black Sabbath's original lineup of Osbourne, bassist Geezer Butler, guitarist Tony Iommi, and drummer Bill Ward.But, did you know Ozzy's first short-lived "retirement" in the 1990s ended with a major worldwide tour which included a stop at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Houston Field House in Troy, New York?On January 27, 1996, the Prince of Darkness brought his "Retirement Sucks!" tour to the Collar City with modern metal heavies Korn and Life Of Agony in tow.Backing Ozzy in Troy that evening was an all-star lineup featuring drummer Randy Castillo, bassist Mike Inez of Alice in Chains, and guitar virtuoso Joe Holmes, tearing through a setlist of classic Sabbath and Ozzy tracks to a nearly-sold out arena of heavy metal fanatics.Did you see Ozzy at the Houston Field House in Troy, New York in 1996? We’d love to hear your story for a future episode of Troy Story: A Podcast for the Collar City.Visit https://troystorypod.com/ozzy to find out how you can contribute to another special installment of the show.Don’t forget to check out our previous episodes on legendary era concerts at the RPI Field House by Bruce Springsteen, Metallica, and Slayer, featuring the voices of world-renowned drummer Jason Bittner, journalist and sports columnist Joyce Bassett, former Field House security staffer and RPI student Eric Haskins, then-teenage metal fan Kevin O’Connell, and Brick by Brick guitarist and owner of Upstate Black n Blue Productions owner Mike Valente.Artwork sources:https://rocktourdatabase.com/sites/rocktourdatabase.com/files/1996-06-06ozzy.jpgHouston Field House (CC-BY-SA-3.0/Matt H. Wade at Wikipedia)Audio Sources:Back to the Beginning - Black Sabbath - Paranoid - live in BirminghamOzzy Osbourne - RPI Field House, Troy NY (1996) Credits:Produced, edited, and hosted by John SalkaTheme music by Steven J. Goldman, Four Legs RecordsVisit troystorypod.com for upcoming episodes, guests, and bonus content.Connect with Troy Story on:FacebookInstagramThreadsYouTubeBlueskyThe views and opinions expressed by the host are their own and do not represent the views of their employer or any other entity