NEW: Paul McCartney Confirms Fall 2025 Tour – The Silence Left by Ozzy Osbourne’s Passing Still Lingers, But Another Legend Steps Forward
By Melody Echo | October 8, 2025
In the shadowed aftermath of rock’s darkest hour, a beacon of melody pierces the veil. The world still reels from the July 22, 2025, death of Ozzy Osbourne—the Prince of Darkness, felled at 76 by a heart attack after decades battling Parkinson’s and a lifetime of sonic sorcery. Black Sabbath’s farewell concert just weeks prior, a raw Birmingham requiem, now feels like prophecy fulfilled. Tributes poured in: Sharon Osbourne’s tear-streaked Instagram elegy on September 12, a Paramount+ docuseries No Escape from Now chronicling his final years, and an extended exhibit at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, prolonged through January 2026 by public demand. 20 21 Fans lit candles outside his Buckinghamshire home; heavy metal anthems like “Crazy Train” spiked streams by 300%, a defiant dirge. Yet, as the echo of Ozzy’s gravelly howl fades, Sir Paul McCartney—Beatle eternal, at 83—has stepped into the light. Last night, October 7, during a VIP soundcheck at Albuquerque’s Isleta Amphitheater, McCartney confirmed the full rollout of his Fall 2025 “Got Back” Tour. It’s not mere revival; it’s remembrance—a sweeping American odyssey blending Beatles bliss, Wings wanderlust, and solo splendor, with whispers of tributes to fallen comrades like Ozzy, John Lennon, and George Harrison.
The announcement, teased via McCartney’s site and exploding across X (formerly Twitter), arrives as the tour’s North American leg ignites. Kicking off September 29 at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, California—McCartney’s debut in Greater Palm Springs—the 20-date juggernaut snakes through arenas and stadiums, a cross-country communion for the faithful. 19 Stops include Las Vegas’s Allegiant Stadium (October 4, where Céline Dion was spotted swaying in the VIPs), 7 a first-ever Albuquerque bow (October 7), Denver’s Coors Field (October 11), and Des Moines’ Casey’s Center (October 14). The heartland pulses next: Minneapolis’ U.S. Bank Stadium (October 17), Tulsa’s BOK Center (October 22), San Antonio’s Alamodome (October 25), and New Orleans’ Smoothie King Center (October 29). Southern soul stirs in Atlanta’s State Farm Arena (November 2-3), Nashville’s Pinnacle (November 6), Columbus’ Nationwide Arena (November 8), Pittsburgh’s PPG Paints Arena (November 11), and Buffalo’s KeyBank Center (November 14). Canada calls with Montreal’s Bell Centre (November 17-18) and Hamilton’s FirstOntario Centre (November 21), climaxing in Chicago’s United Center (November 24-25)—a doubleheader echo of his 2011 run. 17
This isn’t McCartney’s first rodeo; the “Got Back” banner waved over his 2022 global trek, but 2025 marks a poignant pivot. “We’ve lost too many voices this year,” McCartney reflected in a pre-tour video, his eyes misty behind those signature specs. “Ozzy was chaos and heart—reminds me of the wild energy John brought. This tour’s for them, for us. Music’s the bridge over the void.” Fans on X erupted: @BeatleFanatic42 posted, “Paul honoring Ozzy mid-set? Tears incoming. Epic balm for our broken hearts,” garnering 15K likes. 0 Another, @RockEchoes, shared soundcheck clips from Vegas: an instrumental jam morphing into “Honey Don’t” and “Let It Be,” hinting at expanded encores. 6 The setlist? A three-hour tapestry: Beatles blueprints like “Hey Jude” (with Lennon’s ghostly duet on “I’ve Got a Feeling”), Wings wings (“Band on the Run,” “Live and Let Die” with fireworks), and solo gems (“Maybe I’m Amazed”). Rumors swirl of Ozzy nods—“Goodbye to Romance” covers or Sabbath medleys—and Harrison homages via “Something” on ukulele. Backed by his road-tested crew—Paul “Wix” Wickens on keys, Brian Ray on bass/guitar, Rusty Anderson on guitar, Abe Laboriel Jr. on drums—the shows promise spectacle: LED Fab Four avatars, pyros syncing to “Helter Skelter,” and audience singalongs that heal.
McCartney’s timing feels cosmic. Ozzy’s passing, just 11 weeks ago, cast a pall over rockdom. The Madman’s final Sabbath gig on July 5—a blistering “Paranoid” sendoff—drew 50,000, but his death from acute myocardial infarction, compounded by years of addiction and illness, silenced a genre pioneer. 23 24 Sharon’s first public words, a raw IG post of family photos, read: “The house feels empty without your chaos, Oz. But your music? Eternal.” 20 Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi penned a tribute: “Our prince slayed dragons we couldn’t.” Streams of Blizzard of Ozz surged; MTV VMAs hosted a supergroup jam with Yungblud and Aerosmith honoring him. Into this elegy strides McCartney, whose own losses—Lennon in ‘80, Harrison in ‘01—equip him for communal catharsis. “Paul’s the survivor,” tweeted @MelodyMourner, “turning grief to groove. Ozzy’d approve.”
The tour’s genesis? Whispers started in May via Instagram reels from Rich Eisen, fueling fan forums. 13 By July 10, dates dropped: 19 initial stops, ballooning to 20 with Chicago’s encore. 14 Tickets? Fan presale via paulmccartney.com ended July 12; general onsale hit Ticketmaster July 19, starting at $170 for seats, up to $1,200 VIPs with soundcheck access and signed “Egypt Station” vinyls. 16 StubHub and Vivid Seats report 70% sellouts already—Vegas and Chicago teetering on gone. 15 Merch drops include tour tees ($45) emblazoned with a psychedelic snake (nod to Ozzy?) and ruby VIP packs unboxing on eBay for $300. 1
Why now? McCartney’s no stranger to legacy laps—18 Grammys, Rock Hall dual inductee (Beatles ‘88, solo ‘99), 32 U.S. No. 1s. 11 Post-2022’s pandemic-proof run, he toyed with retirement but quipped, “As long as the songs sing me, I’ll sing ’em.” This fall jaunt, his first major U.S. swing since, bridges generations: Boomers reminiscing Abbey Road, Zoomers discovering via TikTok duets of “Blackbird.” X buzzes with Vegas recaps—“Paul shredded ‘Help!’ opener, Lennon hologram slayed,” per @Sweet_Emmee123 3 —and Albuquerque previews: “Soundcheck ‘Mrs. Vandebilt’ vibes? Pure joy.” 2
In Ozzy’s wake, McCartney’s tour is tonic—a reminder that rock’s not requiem, but resurrection. “Music mends,” he told the Albuquerque crowd last night, launching into “The Long and Winding Road.” As leaves turn and venues fill, Sir Paul’s promise holds: not just songs, but solace. The silence lingers, but the melody marches on. Catch it before its memory.
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