Black Sabbath sets reunion

New York — Black Sabbath will reunite for the ninth annual Ozzfest, which begins July 10 in Hartford, Conn.

After initially declining an offer to join original Black Sabbath members Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler, drummer Bill Ward has now reconsidered, said a posting this week on Ozzfest’s Web site.

Ozzfest 2004 also will include a reunion of the original lineup of British heavy metal band Judas Priest.

“You have the original Black Sabbath and the original Judas Priest. What more could you want!” Sharon Osbourne said in a statement.

Aiken plans first solo tour

New York — Clay Aiken will go on his first solo tour this summer, performing songs from his album, “Measure of a Man,” along with other material.

The 42-date tour will open July 6 in Bismarck, N.D. Stops are scheduled through Sept. 16, including Charleston, W. Va.; Nashville, Tenn.; Greensboro, N.C.; Roanoke, Va.; Syracuse, N.Y.; Des Moines, Iowa; Cleveland; Dallas; and York, Pa. He will be at Landon Arena in Topeka on Aug. 31.

Rap stars promote voting

Columbus, Ohio — Hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons, Kanye West and other rap stars held a free concert at Ohio State University to encourage students to vote in November.

The Rev. Run of Run-DMC, Loon, Petey Pablo and Layzie Bone of the Cleveland group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony were at the Schottenstein Center on Thursday, along with Roc-A-Fella Records co-founder Damon Dash.

Dash said the hip-hop community needed to stress voting and civic responsibility to gain respect and bring about change.

“We are at the forefront of our culture and considered the coolest,” he said. “It is cool to be socially conscious to do what’s right and find a candidate to vote for.”

Some 2,000 people registered to vote at the event, organized by Simmons’ group, the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network. The network and community partners registered an additional 10,000 in the past two weeks.