In an article by Andreas Andreou for Crystal Logic, about Savatage in the ‘80s and the Black Sabbath/Ozzy Osbourne connection, Jon Oliva remembers the Black Sabbath audition that never happened.

"It was somebody from the management office for Black Sabbath that approached me", Oliva said. "I did have a set list of songs that I would have to sing at the audition, 'War Pigs', 'Paranoid', 'Sweet Leaf', 'Symptom Of The Universe', 'Iron Man' and the 'Black Sabbath' song."

The article cleverly explores the Black Sabbath/Ozzy Osbourne connection with Savatage through the story of the band during the ‘80s adding interesting details and most important, new comments directly from Jon Oliva, mastermind of Savatage and also Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

“I would have loved to do an album with Black Sabbath", Jon Oliva recalls about the Black Sabbath audition that never happened. “I think my voice would have fit them very well and it wouldn't bother me that Tony Iommi was in charge because he is the riff master. What you're going to say... I would have just sang my ass off but again, you know, the '80s were very weird for me. I did have a lot of problems but it is what it is and I'm glad that Savatage was able to continue.”

Jon Oliva also remembers the first moment he met Ozzy Osbourne: “I actually had dinner with him at the Lakeland Civic Center here in Florida. I doubt he remembers because he was totally wasted... It was very interesting and very funny. I was with a group of people who won a radio contest and that's what the prize was, to have dinner with Ozzy. I remember he came out in an evening dress and was totally wasted, one of the funniest things I've ever seen and it didn't last very long."

In the Crystal Logic article, you can read a view in the '80s era of Savatage, the albums, the events and the record companies with the element of the Black Sabbath/Ozzy Osbourne connection and influence upon Jon Oliva and his brother Criss Oliva who died on October 17th of 1993.

Find the article here.