Ozzy Osbourne of the legendary English rock band, Black Sabbath, expressed his desire to perform with his former bandmates once again during a recent episode of The Madhouse Chronicles. He admitted to Billy Morrison that he was unhappy about how the group went apart and “would jump at the chance” to do one more gig with drummer Bill Ward.
Following Ozzy’s interview, guitarist Tony Iommi said, “It would be nice to do a one-off” together, emphasizing that it had to be only one show due to his age and abilities. However, he warned fans to manage their expectations as there is no plan to make it happen yet.
The Black Sabbath decline
The last time Black Sabbath played was at Birmingham Genting Arena in 2017. However, Ward had been absent since 2012 after leaving due to an “unreasonable contract.” He was replaced with Ozzy’s instrumentalist, Tommy Clufetos, but to the Prince of Darkness, no one does it like Ward. Ozzy admitted to missing Ward so badly that his only criterion for a reunion is Ward’s presence.
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Ozzy was the first to leave Black Sabbath during the peak of his drug use and alcoholism, as the rest of the group could hardly tolerate his misbehavior. He became financially irresponsible and would hardly show up for studio sessions; hence, he got fired in 1979 and was replaced by new vocalists, including Ronnie James Dio. Ozzy pursued a solo career afterward, staying afloat for several decades until a recent unavoidable retirement due to health challenges.
Since most Black Sabbath members are in their 70s and can hardly perform like before, Tony has realistic expectations of what their proposed union should entail. According to him, touring is not an option, and a typical Black Sabbath gig will take time and money to plan.
Similarly, Ozzy is not in the best state for a highly demanding event due to his battle with Parkinson’s disease, which led to him canceling several shows last year. Although his voice is “absolutely perfect,” and he hopes to resume touring, his wife and manager Sharon Osbourne says he will only do a few farewell shows before leaving the spotlight for good.