Geezer Butler released his book Into the Void today (June 6) where he shares he and former Black Sabbath bandmate Ozzy Osbourne don’t speak anymore.
In an excerpt published by Ultimate Classic Rock (UCR), Butler writes in the book’s epilogue that he and Osbourne don’t speak due to a falling out between their wives. He pens, “Me and Ozzy are fine, it’s just that we’re both ruled by our wives. He’s go a big heart and was always there for me in times of trouble.”
Fortunately, Butler is still close with guitarist Tony Iommi. He tells UCR, “Yeah, he’s always been there for me. You know, he’s a good friend. We can slag each other to death. It’s like marriage, really. You have terrible arguments, you fall out and you come back together. But he’s always there. He always is. I hope he is after this book as well.”
As for drummer Bill Ward, Butler says he still loves him, but, ” …. He’s not on the internet. If you want to talk to Bill, you have to email his wife and she has to tell him. It’s really awkward. [Laughs]”
Into the Void is available for purchase via HarperCollins.com.
Black Sabbath: The Best 30 Songs From The Ozzy Osbourne Era(s), Ranked
Fifty years ago this week (September 18), the mighty Black Sabbath released their second album, Paranoid, in America. A bit tighter than their self-titled debut, which came out earlier in the year, Paranoid‘s title track became their biggest radio hit in America. The album also had “Luke’s Wall/War Pigs” and “Iron Man,” But the 41-minute album didn’t waste a second: it’s a perfect album.
In fact, seven of the eight songs made our list that we put together in honor of Paranoid‘s 50th. And yes, Black Sabbath did some incredible stuff with Ozzy’s replacement, the late, great Ronnie James Dio… and that’s probably a list for another day (and yes, both RJD and drummer Vinny Appice should have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the founding four members, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Ozzy Osbourne and Bill Ward) .
Here, we decided to stick with songs from the Ozzy eras of the band. 1970’s debut album (and the “Evil Woman” single) through 1978’s Never Say Die! and also 2013’s 13. Yes, we know that they put out two new songs in the ’90s, but those didn’t come close to making this list… which, like Paranoid, doesn’t waste a moment. The roots of every heavy metal band can be found in these thirty songs.
