With Ozzy Osbourne and Geezer Butler recently sharing their regrets that Black Sabbath’s retirement came without a final show featuring Bill Ward, the estranged Sabbath drummer has now publicly addressed speculation about a potential one-off reunion.
Ward was initially on board to be part of Black Sabbath’s 2010s reunion, but bowed out before touring and recording took place over a contractual dispute. The remaining three original members went on to record the 13 album with Rage Against the Machine’s Brad Wilk on drums and Ozzy Osbourne’s solo band drummer Tommy Clufetos handling the drumming within the live setting.
Though Black Sabbath officially disbanded following their final show in 2017, talk of playing at least one more date has come up of late with Ozzy Osbourne eager for a return to the stage following health issues in recent years.
What Did Bill Ward Say to the Black Sabbath Reunion Show Speculation?
In a message to fans shared through his social media, Ward shared that he too would have interest in playing one more show with the group. “I’m in for playing some of everyone’s old favorites. Loved playing them then, I’d love to play them one last time,” stated the drummer.
Originally, Ward was part of the November 2011 Black Sabbath reunion but pulled out in early 2012, attributing an “‘unreasonable contract” as his reason for departure. Drummer Tommy Clufetos stepped in and performed live on the Black Sabbath Reunion Tour and the swansong The End Tour.
Appearing on the most recent episode of The Madhouse Chronicles, Ozzy opened up about his career in Black Sabbath with his close friend Billy Morrison. Towards the end of the interview, the Prince Of Darkness watches footage of the band’s final show at Birmingham’s Genting Arena on February 4, 2017.
“That must have been cool for you? How did you feel? Were you glad it was done?” Morrsion asked Ozzy, to which he replied: “Yeah, but I was sad that Bill wasn’t there. I mean Tommy Clufetos, my drummer, did a great job. But he ain’t Bill Ward.”
Morrison then went on to ask the ‘War Pigs’ singer if he was content with the “arc of the legend of Black Sabbath?”
“No. Because it wasn’t Black Sabbath that finished it. It’s unfinished,” replied Ozzy. “If they wanted to do one more gig with Bill, I would jump at the chance. Do you know what would be cool? If we went to a club or somewhere unannounced and we just got up and did it. We started up in a club.”
At the beginning of the year, Sharon Osbourne – Ozzy’s wife and manager – revealed that they are planning “two more shows to say goodbye” before he fully retires from performing live.
“He won’t tour again but we are planning on doing two more shows to say goodbye as he feels like, ‘I have never said goodbye to my fans and I want to say goodbye’,” she told journalist Jane Moore (via Music News).
Sharon continued: “His voice is still absolutely perfect. And all the time he has been off he still does his singing lessons. Even if you don’t like his music, you can’t not like Ozzy.”
She reportedly hinted that the Prince Of Darkness, 75, would stage the pair of farewell concerts at the Villa Park football stadium in his home city of Birmingham.
Ozzy announced his retirement from touring last February, calling off his scheduled European and UK tour dates in the process. Later that month, however, he said he hoped to return to the stage at some point in the future.
He provided a health update last summer after cancelling his planned one-off headline slot at the Power Trip festival in Indio, California.
Back in November, Ozzy said he might have to “accept the fact” that a return to the stage may not be possible owing to his ongoing health issues, including Parkinson’s disease and a recovery from multiple surgeries.
In early January, Ozzy said he was currently going through a “slow recovery” process.
“I just came back from the doctor today and my blood clots are gone, everything’s back to normal,” he explained on The Osbournes Podcast. “I can bend my neck. I just gotta get my balance going now.”
He added: “I’m not seeing so many doctors anymore. I’m just seeing the Parkinson’s doctor but I’m not having surgery or anything. I had seven surgeries in five years.”
The operations stemmed from a fall in 2019 that dislodged multiple metal rods which were put in Ozzy’s body following a quad bike crash in 2003.
