GEEZER BUTLER, PENS TRIBUTE FOR OZZY OSBOURNE, IN BRITISH NEWSPAPER

Black Sabbath bassist, Geezer Butler has written a piece for the The Times, excerpts from the column, appear below.

“Just more than a year ago I was contacted by Aston Villa’s publicity department asking if I would be interested in launching the new Villa Adidas kit. They explained the scenario: Ozzy Osbourne would call me asking whether I’d play Villa Park with him and I would reply: “As long as I play left wing.” Of course, that video went viral and had the biggest views of any football kit launch for that season. That was the power of Ozzy.

Aston Villa was a huge presence to us in Aston…. I was a Villa fanatic — still am —…So it was quite fitting for Ozzy and Black Sabbath to end the long journey from our beginning in 1968 to our final show back in Aston at Villa Park, on July 5th. I didn’t realize then that I would never see Ozzy again after that night.

The rehearsals for that final show started a month before at a studio in the Oxfordshire countryside. [guitarist] Tony Iommi, [drummer] Bill Ward and I ran through seven songs together. Of course, not having played together for 20 years, it took a couple of days to get rid of the rust. 

Then it was time for Ozzy to join us. I knew he wasn’t in good health, but I wasn’t prepared to see how frail he was. He was helped into the rehearsal room by two helpers and a nurse and was using a cane — being Ozzy, the cane was black and studded with gold and precious stones. He didn’t really say much beyond the usual greetings and when he sang, he sat in a chair. We ran through the songs but we could see it was exhausting him after six or seven songs. We had a bit of a chat, but he was really quiet compared with the Ozzy of old. After a couple more weeks we were ready for the show.

To me, Ozzy wasn’t the Prince of Darkness — if anything he was the Prince of Laughter. He’d do anything for a laugh, a born entertainer…

…When we did the Aston Villa Adidas promo, I hadn’t seen or spoken to Ozzy since Black Sabbath’s The End tour in 2017. But there was always an invisible link between Ozzy, Tony, Bill and me. We had gone through the best of times and the worst of times; the bond was unbreakable.

And so to the final concert. The strangest part of that show was the end. Normally, we would all hug each other and take a bow to the audience. But Ozzy was on his throne and we hadn’t thought that out. What do we do? Tony shook his hand, I presented him with a cake, but it was such a strange feeling to end our story like that. I wish I’d had more time backstage with Ozzy, but wishes are redundant now. As Ozzy used to say: “Wish in one hand and shit in the other and see which comes first.”

Nobody knew he’d be gone from us little more than two weeks after the final show. But I am so grateful we got to play one last time together in front of his beloved fans. The love from the fans and all the bands, musicians, singers and solo artists that night was incredible. Everyone had come to pay homage to the Prince. I am so privileged to have spent most of my life with him. Of course there are millions of things I will think of that I should have written, but how can I sum up 57 incredible years of friendship in a few paragraphs? God bless, Oz, it has been one hell of a ride! Love you!”

To read Butler’s entire article, and to view all of the pictures that accompany it, please click here.

3 Responses

  1. We never did get a full album from Deadland Ritual!! The few songs that they did release were amazing. The most amazing band that just fizzled out.

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