Ozzy Osbourne and Original Black Sabbath Members Consider Final Gig

Ozzy Osbourne and the other original members of Black Sabbath are considering reuniting once again with original drummer Bill Ward, who was not on board the last time the band regrouped. The band's original classic lineup formed in 1968 but went through various lineup changes through the years.

Although Osbourne, bassist Geezer Butler and guitarist Tony Iommi have all expressed interest in one final gig, Butler said it's a long shot, during an appearance on Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk on Tuesday (May 28).

"Of course there's an interest [to reunite]," Butler said, "but there's a big but' - you'd have to speak to Bill about it."

"Everybody wants to do it [but it's unclear whether everyone is] capable [of playing]."

Black Sabbah completed their farewell tour in 2017, but Ward wasn't a part of it. He complained that the contract he was offered to tour with the band was not "signable." He was replaced by Rage Against the Machine drummer Brad Wilk on the group's final studio album, 2013's Rick Rubin-produced 13, while Tommy Clufeutos, from Osbourne's solo band, filled the drum chair on Black Sabbath's final tour.

The buzz about a final Black Sabbath show with all four original members sprung about of Osbourne's discussion on his podcast, The Madhouse Chronicles. When asked if he was happy about Black Sabbath's career and legacy, Osbourne responded, "No, because it wasn't Black Sabbath that finished it. It's unfinished."

Back in 2016 in an interview to promote the band's farewell tour, Osbourne didn't seem to have those concerns.

"I'm glad we're all still alive. I'm glad we can still play. I'm glad that we all still want to play, and I'm glad it's the end because we didn't want to fizzle out," he said. "To end up with a final thing with the guys I started off with is great. I'm not saying I'm retiring, because I'm still going to be doing some kind of musical thing, but it's been a great journey. We never thought when we first went into the studio in 1969, early 1970, that we were going to last five years, and here we are nearly 50 years up the road and we're still active. That's what really is important to me.

"One of my favorite things is we weren't a band that was created by some business guy in London," Osbourne continued. "We're four guys. I was in a band with Terry [Geezer], Tony was in a band with Bill. I went to school with Tony. We came from a three-mile radius of each other, and we formed a band to have a bit of fun and here we are on this amazing journey. I'm glad it's coming to an end on a high note, for a change."

Tags

Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, Bill Ward