Hold onto your black t-shirts, rock fans! The Prince of Darkness, Ozzy Osbourne, is making headlines yet again with his desire to reunite Black Sabbath for one last epic show. In a dramatic twist worthy of a metal opera, Ozzy has revealed he "desperately wants" to give the iconic band a proper send-off. And guess what? Geezer Butler is totally on board.
Last month, Ozzy dropped the bombshell that he would "jump at the chance" to play another Sabbath gig with drummer Bill Ward, who famously bailed on the band's reunion tour between 2012 and 2017 over contract disputes. Fast forward to now, and Butler has confirmed that he and Ozzy are ready to rock one final time. This came after Ozzy's wife and manager, Sharon, hinted at two farewell shows in their hometown of Birmingham, aiming to close the chapter on Ozzy’s storied career.
In a recent chat with SiriusXM, Butler shared the scoop: "Ozzy was hoping to finish it all off next year back in Aston, at Aston Villa. I'm definitely up for it. Me and Ozzy have agreed, but I’m not sure about anybody else.” When quizzed about Ward's involvement, Butler wasn’t overly optimistic but didn’t shut down the idea completely: “I don’t think so. Maybe, I don’t know. I mean, the way technical things happen these days, maybe a couple of songs, but who knows?”
Tony Iommi, the riff master himself, also chimed in, saying it would be "a nice thing to actually do," but remained non-committal. The potential gig, he suggested, might be a "one-off." Ah, the suspense!
During an interview with New York’s Q104.3, Butler noted that Ozzy is particularly driven by his health battles. “And he said to me, ‘I’d love Sabbath to do a couple of songs, two or three songs, as the final show ever’ – Ozzy’s final show and Sabbath’s final show,” Butler revealed. “And I said, ‘Yeah, I’m up for it, definitely’. But I’m not sure what the others are up to. Me and Ozzy, we’re up for it. But whether Tony and Bill would do it, I don’t know.”
Butler reminisced about his days with the band, adding that he still keeps his bass chops sharp in his home studio: “It’s like part of my daily exercise. I don’t get down to the gym. I just go up to my studio.” However, getting in touch with Ward remains a challenge: “He’s not on e-mail and I hate the phone. So I send e-mails to his wife, who passes it on to Bill.”
Ozzy’s retirement announcement in February 2023 shook fans to the core, canceling his European and UK tour dates. Yet, the indomitable rocker has hinted at a stage comeback, despite battling Parkinson’s disease and recovering from multiple surgeries.
Reflecting on the end of his touring days, Ozzy told Rolling Stone UK, "It’s been like saying farewell to the best relationship of my life." He remains hopeful, though: "I’m taking it one day at a time, and if I can perform again, I will."
With Ozzy’s relentless spirit and Butler’s enthusiasm, could we be witnessing the last hurrah of one of rock's greatest bands? Only time will tell. But if it happens, you can bet it’ll be a night to remember. Rock on, Sabbath fans!
Photo: SCOTT DUDELSON/GETTY IMAGES
