black sabbath final tour drummer

BLACK SABBATH Touring Drummer TOMMY CLUFETOS: OZZY OSBOURNE Is 'The Greatest Frontman I've Ever Worked For'

In a new interview with Jeff Gaudiosi of MisplacedStraws.com , Tommy Clufetos talked about what it was like to step in for original BLACK SABBATH drummer Bill Ward on the legendary heavy metal band's final tour. He said: "To be honest, I've done it so many times where I'm coming in — I've always come in after somebody. That was a higher level of that. But knowing that I've replaced a name drummer every time I've come in, and eventually, I'm kind of maybe possibly this much of a name drummer now, even though I pride myself on trying to stay under the radar, I was prepared for that situation. And I understand that BLACK SABBATH is Ozzy [ Osbourne ], Tony [ Iommi ], Geezer [ Butler ], Bill Ward ; I get that there's four parts to that, and I feel that I went in respecting that. And I know that you've got three guys that I was playing with, there's three leaders. Ozzy knew me; he had my trust. And I had to earn Tony 's trust. I had to earn Geezer 's trust. And I don't do that through saying, 'I'm your guy,' I do that through going in every day and knowing every song. And that's how you earn people's trust. So I think I won them over that way. And I think going and playing the gigs, I won the people over that way. There's always going to be naysayers, and that's part of the business, but my goal was to go out there and kick ass every day. And I can bet that nobody walked out of the show unhappy. So that's the only thing I can do, is do my best playing drums and just go through it. If I didn't do it, somebody else would have."

Asked what it felt like to play SABBATH 's final concert in Birmingham, England in February 2017, Tommy said: "I try not to go too deep into those things, 'cause I have a long career ahead of me. I love playing with those guys and I respect them to the highest level, but at some point, I've got 20, 30 more years to go. I can't dwell on, 'I did this.' To me, you're only as good as your last gig. So it's a high point, but you just kind of gotta go, 'Well, that was that,' and it's a shame that it ends. But everything ends. It all ends. But I have the highest respect for the standard that they kept through the years up to that very last show."

He continued: "I've never been in a band where there was three other guys like myself, and I'm not comparing, but I did rise to the occasion. We were all up there giving a hundred and ten percent. And when they go do a gig… A lot of the times when I tour with other guys, they're on their phones or they're taking pictures or they're out with their buddies before or after or whatever; there's all of these distractions, Two and a half hours before the show, I don't talk to anybody. I'm in that dressing room getting ready for the gig, and so are they. And it makes me go, 'Oh, I'm doing exactly the right thing. I'm not an idiot.' I'm doing what to be great you're supposed to do, and that's supposed to give a hundred and ten percent all the time, and they do. Ozzy is so professional. He does his vocal warm-ups. He's one of the greatest frontmen — he's the greatest frontman I've ever worked for. He can manipulate that audience like no other. I mean, he has the magnetism, to me, of an Elvis Presley in the heavy metal world. He really does. He walks out there and he smiles and he has 'em right there before he even says a word. And that's not to take away from his amazing vocals that he doesn't get enough credit for a lot of time too. Tony Iommi plays with such concentration that he's just perspiring just from focusing. And Geezer Butler is one of the greatest bass players to ever walk the face of the Earth. It's him, it's John Paul Jones , it's James Jamerson , and there's only so many of those guys. And I got to play with those guys. So what a pleasure."

Clufetos 's new band TOMMY'S ROCKTRIP , where he offers his take on the rock 'n roll influences that made him one of the most sought-after drummers in the current hard rock scene, released its debut album, "Beat Up By Rock 'N' Roll" , on May 7 via Frontiers Music Srl . Eric Dover , known for singing and playing guitar with JELLYFISH , SLASH'S SNAKEPIT and Alice Cooper , handles lead vocals on the LP (though Tommy grabs the mic for three tracks). Eliot Lorengo (bass), Hank Schneekluth (guitar) and Nao Nakashima (guitar) round out the supporting cast.

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Black Sabbath Announce Final Tour

A few months ago, Black Sabbath teased something that was referred to as their "final show." That concert, originally scheduled for Nov. 21-22 at Makuhari Messe near Tokyo was eventually canceled . But now it looks like they're ready to go out on the road for one last tour.

The band just released a 75-second video that announces their final road trip. In the clip, which you can watch above, a doomsday voice intones, "It's the beginning of the end. It started nearly five decades ago with a crack of thunder, a distant bell ringing and monstrous riff that shook the earth."

The video loads up on the band's achievements, running through proclamations like "In that moment, heavy metal was born" (possibly), "Now it ends, the final tour by the greatest metal band of all time" (probably) and "[They're] closing the final chapter in the final volume" (we'll see).

Not so surprisingly, the band's original drummer, Bill Ward , isn't listed in the roll call of tour participants, which includes the other three members: Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler . Ward has been sparring with his bandmates , particularly Osbourne, since the group recorded and released its reunion album, 13 , without him a couple years ago. Still, no drummer was part of the doomsday voice's lineup, so maybe there's hope yet.

The tour -- which starts on Jan. 20 in Omaha -- will cover North America and Australia and New Zealand. You can see the entire list of dates below.

Black Sabbath 2016 Tour Dates

1/20 Omaha, NE Century Link Center 1/22 Chicago, IL United Center 1/25 Minneapolis, MN Target Center 1/28 Saskatoon, SK Sasktel Centre 1/30 Edmonton, AB Rexall Centre 2/1 Calgary, AB Scotiabank Saddledome 2/3 Vancouver, BC Rogers Arena 2/6 Tacoma, WA Tacoma Dome 2/9 San Jose, CA SAP Center 2/11 Los Angeles, CA The Forum 2/13 Las Vegas, NV Mandalay Bay Events Center 2/15 Denver, CO Pepsi Center 2/17 Kansas City, MO Sprint Center 2/19 Detroit, MI The Palace of Auburn Hills 2/21 Hamilton, ON FirstOntario Centre 2/23 Montreal, QB Bell Centre 2/25 New York City, NY Madison Square Garden

Australia/New Zealand Tour Dates 4/15 Perth Perth Arena 4/17 Adelaide Entertainment Centre 4/19 Melbourne Rod Laver Arena 4/23 Sydney Allphones Arena 4/25 Brisbane Entertainment Centre 4/28 Auckland Vector Arena 4/30 Dunedin Forsyth Barr Stadium

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Black Sabbath announce 'The End' world tour and vow it will be their last

Three of the four longtime members of the heavy metal pioneers, including Ozzy Osbourne, to play 24 dates across the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand

Black Sabbath, who pioneered heavy metal more than four decades ago, on Thursday announced a final tour and vowed it would be the band’s last.

The English rockers, known for their thunderous guitars and dark subject matter, said that “The End” tour would feature three of the band’s four longtime members including flamboyant frontman Ozzy Osbourne.

“It promises to surpass all previous tours with their most mesmerizing production ever. When the tour concludes, it will truly be the end,” said a voiceover on a video announcement on the band’s website.

The band announced 24 dates for the tour, which will start on 20 January in Omaha, Nebraska in the US midwest, a hotbed for heavy metal fans.

The tour will cover the United States, including New York’s Madison Square Garden, as well as Canada, Australia and New Zealand .

The final date – the real “The End” – is scheduled for 30 April in the southern New Zealand city of Dunedin.

The tour does not feature any shows in Europe, including the band’s native city of Birmingham, England.

Osbourne has pursued a successful solo career and lives in Los Angeles, where his family was featured a decade ago on the MTV reality series The Osbournes.

Guitarist Tony Iommi has stayed in England and in recent years struggled with cancer, a factor that has clouded previous chatter about a new Black Sabbath tour.

Black Sabbath went on an 84-date reunion tour from 2012 to 2014 that opened in Birmingham and closed in London’s Hyde Park.

The extensive tour brought out original bassist and lyricist Geezer Butler, who will again play in “The End” shows.

But longtime drummer Bill Ward was not listed to participate in the final tour. Ward also did not play on the 2012-2014 tour or on the band’s last album, the 2013 release 13, amid a feud with Osbourne.

Black Sabbath started out with a self-titled first album in 1970.

The band took a root of the American blues but brought in a heavier guitar sound as well as often macabre themes.

“Iron Man,” one of the band’s most identifiable songs, tells of a man who travels in time and wreaks revenge on humanity after being turned into steel.

Black Sabbath and Osbourne’s later solo work often alarmed Christian groups who saw dangerous or Satanic messages in the music.

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History of Black Sabbath Drummers

If you’re a drummer and your favorite band is Black Sabbath, then this post is for you!.

Sabbath was a band that once played in the 1970s. They were one of the first heavy metal bands and pioneers of this kind of sound, influencing many other musicians and bands. They had nine drummers over their career:

• Vinny Appice
• Eric Singer
• Terry Chimes
• Cozy Powell
• Mike Bordin
• Tommy Clufetos

All 9 are incredible drummers who have put in some work for this iconic Rock n Roll band.

Bill Ward – the first Black Sabbath drummer

Billy Ward, aka the drummer who played drums on Black Sabbath Paranoid . That needed to be said; however, Billy was with Sabbath from its conception in 1969 until 1980 and then again in 1994 and from 1997 until 2012 and played on many of the hit records like “War Pigs.”

This heavy metal classic was highly influential among young drummers like Billy himself.

If you ever listen to tracks “It’s Alright” and “Swinging the Chain” by Black Sabbath, then you heard Billy’s vocals.

They released 10 studio and 2 live albums during his time in Sabbath.

Except for his blast drumming skills, he is known for crazy pranks he barely survived. One time band covered him with a golden chemical while he was asleep. This chemical blocked Ward’s pores, and he had a seizure. It turned out he barely survived.

Is Billy Ward still alive?

Yes, he is. Billy is alive and well and regularly posting on his website.

Vinny Appice – Black Sabbath drummer 1980 to 1982 and on and off until 1997

Vinny and his older brother Carmine are widely known in a drumming community. Vinny played With Sabbath, Ronnie James Dio, Heaven and Hell, Joel Hoekstra and many others. He even hand clapped on “Whatever Gets You Thru the Night” by John Lennon.

Black Sabbath’s Heaven and Hell tour featured Vinny Appice, a world-renowned drummer who quickly replaced original member Bill Ward. He joined the band for their Aloha Stadium show in Hawaii with his entire kit packed into that car!

The rain that day ruin those hastily written crib notes- but you know what? That didn’t stop him from putting on an amazing performance as usual!

Bev Bevan – Black Sabbath drummer 1983 to 1984 and again in 1987

Although Bevan was a member of Sabbath, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Electric Light Orchestra.

He was short with Sabbath, and from their fan perspective, he is not a memorable member.

Bevan joined them during Born Again Tour and played percussion on the “Eternal Idol” album. You can see him in Black Sabbath videos like “Trashed” and “Zero the Hero.”

After recording The Eternal Idol, he refused to go on tour in South Africa, so they fired him.

Eric Singer – Black Sabbath drummer 1985 to 1987

Although Eric Singer earned his glory as a drummer for Kiss. Before Kiss, he played with Lita Ford and one short period for the Sabbath.

He played on their album “Seventh Star” and left shortly after the recording of The Eternal Idol.

After Sabbath, he joined the Gary Moore band on tour to support his album “Wild Frontier.”

After the death of Eric Carr, Singer became an official member of Kiss in 1991. He played with Kiss until 1996, when the band reunited with Peter Criss, the band’s original member.

He joined Kiss again in 2001 but only for a tour. In 2002 Criss jumped in again, and the band decided to end Singer’s contract.

Terry Chimes – Black Sabbath drummer in 1987

Like many drummers from the list, Chimes was not known as a Sabbath drummer but rather as a drummer for the punk rock band the Clash.

Clash’s original drummer played with them from 1976 to 1977 and again from 1982 to 1983.

He briefly toured with Black Sabbath from July 1987 through December of that year and a one-off gig in May 1988. He also appeared as their drummer for the band’s music video “The Shining” from The Eternal Idol album.

Cozy Powell – Black Sabbath drummer 1988 to 1991 and 1994 to 1995

Cozy was an enormous talent who played with everybody, so to speak. The list goes on, to name a few: Jeff Beck, Rainbow, Gary Moore, Michael Schenker, Robert Plant, Whitesnake and of course, Black Sabbath.

He was and still is a major influence on many rock drummers.

Headless Cross was the album Cozy Played on for Sabbath. They attempted to recover the old sound, but it was impossible without Ozzy on the album.

The tour that followed was not successful either. It was canceled after only 8 shows.

Powell’s death was one of the most shocking and saddest stories. He died on 5 April 1998 during a car crash while driving his Saab 9000 at 104 mph (167 km/h) in bad weather near Bristol.

Mike Bordin – Black Sabbath drummer in 1997

Most famous for Faith No More, Mike Bordin is another kind of monster that played with Sabbath for only one year.

He joined Sabbath on their reunion tour, replacing Ward on tour with original members. Mike already played in Ozzy’s band when he got a call for Sabbath.

He was only there until Ward joined them in December of 1997.

Brad Wilk – Black Sabbath drummer in 2013

Wilk played on Sabbath album “13”. Like many from the list, he was more known as a drummer for Rage Against the Machine than Black Sabbath.

Album was produced by Rick Rubin, a famous producer who worked with Slayer, Danzig, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Johnny Cash, Dixie Chicks and others.

The band won Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 2014 with the song “God Is Dead?” from above mention album. 

Wilk played with Pearl Jam, Greta, Audioslave, Prophets of Rage and others.

Tommy Clufetos – Black Sabbath drummer 2012 – present

Like Bordin, Tommy first joined the Ozzy Osbourne band that would later lead to joining Black Sabbath.

Although Wilk recorded Sabbat’s album “13”, Tommy played on the tour to support it.

His transition from Rob Zombie to Ozzy caused an earthquake in his relationship with Rob due to the way he just left without saying goodbye.

Tommy joined the Ozzy Osbourne band in 2010, and the tour with Sabbath came in 2012. The whole cooperation still lasts.

In May of 2021, he formed a band with Rob Zombie, guitarist John 5 and Nikki Sixx from Motley Crue called L.A. Rats. Their debut track, “I’ve Been Everywhere,” ended as a soundtrack for the Liam Neeson film The Ice Road.

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The end, eh? (aka Final Tour)

So, word has come down today about a “final tour” for Black Sabbath.   A thought about that… I’ve made a lot of noise on my site about “wait till it’s official”.  Well, this one is official.  The band has properly announced this.  There will be a tour next year.  There are no plans for an album that I’m aware of, and they haven’t announced that they’re making one.  If I were a betting man, I’d go with we’d get some sort of disc out around then with some live tracks and those four studio tracks from the 13 sessions on a disc.  But I have NO NEWS about that, nothing official in any way – that’s guesswork on my part.

While I don’t doubt they’ll tour next year at all, I don’t put a ton of weight behind “final tour”.   We’ve all been down that path before – especially Ozzy, in 1992.

Anyway, below are the video trailer and artwork released for the 2016 tour.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYCvRV5ME3w

FORMAL PRESS RELEASE

It’s the Beginning of THE END .

It started nearly five decades ago with a crack of thunder, a distant bell ringing and then that monstrous riff that shook the earth. The heaviest rock sound ever heard.

In that moment Heavy Metal was born, created by a young band from Birmingham, England barely out of their teens.

Now it ENDS , the final tour by the greatest Metal Band of all time, BLACK SABBATH . Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler close the final chapter in the final volume of the incredible BLACK SABBATH story.

BLACK SABBATH’s farewell tour, THE END , begins on January 20, 2016 and it promises to surpass all previous tours with their most mesmerizing production ever.

When this tour concludes, it will truly be THE END ,

THE END of one of most legendary bands in Rock ’n Roll history…

BLACK SABBATH

Photo credit: Mark Weiss

North American Tour Dates

1/20       Omaha, NE                   CenturyLink Center 1/22       Chicago, IL                   United Center 1/25       Minneapolis, MN            Target Center 1/28       Saskatoon, SK              Sasktel Centre 1/30       Edmonton, AB               Rexall Centre 2/1         Calgary, AB                  Scotiabank Saddledome 2/3         Vancouver, BC              Rogers Arena 2/6         Tacoma, WA                 Tacoma Dome 2/9         San Jose, CA                 SAP Center 2/11       Los Angeles, CA            The Forum 2/13       Las Vegas, NV               Mandalay Bay Events Center 2/15       Denver, CO                   Pepsi Center 2/17       Kansas City, MO            Sprint Center 2/19       Detroit, MI                   The Palace of Auburn Hills 2/21       Hamilton, ON                FirstOntario Centre 2/23       Montreal, QC                Bell Centre 2/25       New York City, NY         Madison Square Garden

Australia/New Zealand Tour Dates

4/15       Perth                           Perth Arena 4/17       Adelaide                       Entertainment Centre 4/19       Melbourne                    Rod Laver Arena 4/23       Sydney                        Allphones Arena 4/25       Brisbane                       Entertainment Centre 4/28       Auckland                      Vector Arena 4/30       Dunedin                       Forsyth Barr Stadium

More dates to be announced in October 2015

Details on T ickets, VIP packages and more for the North American shows can be found at: www.Livenation.com

And what about Bill Ward?!?

It’s Sad! On the ‘official’ Black Sabbath site, Bill Ward is completely removed.

Not True… His pictures w/Black Sabbath are on the band website, in the history section…

http://www.blacksabbath.com/history.html

Do you think bill would be able to tour for a yr? NOPE! it would be nice if he was involved, but faace it..at this point him being the drummer he would be a big liability …what are they supposed to do hire a backup drummer to travel and play the shows bill is physically unable to play? if they relied on JUST bill with no backup drummer travelin with them…..there would most likely be alot of cancelations after a month of shows..if it took a month before he couldnt do it anymore

If Bill says he can do it , he can do it . He is a man of principles . I have bled Black Sabbath for 45 yrs Just laid down 600 for 2 MSG tix that I can’t afford Hoping they will kiss and make up This Ozzy and Bill thing seems to be media gossip Something I never thought Sabbath would be involved in If this is ‘ the end ” , I hope the boys really consider us disciples who paid their mortgages all these years We want all 4 of you

I hope the band reads this God Bless Black Sabbath

They’re playing 30 miles away, closest in years although did see H&H in 2009 just before Ronnie was diagnosed. Really can’t afford the tickets, can’t even divert money from something less important (like bills). Hoping someone records a few gigs, don’t want to miss out completely!

Yea , tickets are expensive ! & 2,500 dollars to do a meet and greet or vip package, whatever it’s called. And no Bill Ward ?? Sorry to say this will be one tour I will care less about or will not go see because 1. No Bill Ward , 2. Pricey tickets & VIP packages with no 100% guarantee you’ll meet the band or get what you pay for, 3. NO BILL WARD !!!

…and…the band would not be able to build any momentum, get tighter, with a different drummer every night!

You may be right to question “The End” tour… but this is 23 years after 1992, that was a mid-forties Ozzy talking, I wouldn’t be putting much weight behind another tour after this one… maybe an extension to this one if they all hold up through the first leg but between Ozzy’s vocals and Tony’s continued cancer battle I just don’t see 3 guys in their 70s ever touring. I just hope they make it to MSG cause I’ll be waiting!! And if The Wizard can find it’s way back into rotation, I’m all for it!!

You’re probably right about the left over tracks from 13 but we just got a full live album with GITM. The only live album should be a proper release of Asbury Park 1975 or some other old recording.

This is going to be their last big tour. Like The Stones they might do a few mini tours from time to time. No new album but i;m fine with that. I will go see them when they come to town in feb.

That trailer…. oh god, it’s _incredibly _ cheesy and doesn’t fit the announcement of this proportion at all. That’s just my humble opinion, of course.

Agree, it is z grade cheap rubbish! Anyone could do better than that amateur shite!

I don’t know… I was willing to buy into this 3 piece “B S” for 13 and kinda swallowed the whole bitter Bill Ward chaos … But now … just calling it Black Sabbath still without Stick Lord Ward … I can’t gulp it down again .. watching anybody else on the throne AINT Black Sabbath… No matter what the pretty produced announcement video says … It’s half the rhythm section,the guitar orchestra,and The mad vocalist … period. No Driving Inventive Pounding Ancient Drum Master.. William Ward … No Black Sabbath at this go round … my throat hurts ..

I have to say that if this is going to qualify as a true Black Sabbath tour, Bill Ward would have to agree to participate. Then he’d have to go back on his word and refuse to participate. Come on Bill, once more for old times’ sake, whaddya say?

I cried today because of this. I though there was still hope for some chance for Bill but now this?…I wonder if Keith Moon were still alive today would we accept a Moon-less version of “The Who”? A Bonham-less Zepp? a Watt-less Stones?…The tour will be a success anyway! That’s all that matters at the end of the day. Thousand of kids and clueless fans (who still think Bev Bevan actually played on TEI) taking selfles on the shows and loving every second of it. For us, The old school fans who won’t buy the ticket for this desecration of Sabbath’s legacy there will be only sadness and sights. At the end of the day money conquers all. Specially if the recipient is the Digital Bitch.

Hear, Hear; “Vinny”!! Now, could the DB be a woman with a name, that rhymes with “Aaron”(Laughs!!)????

All those kids and clueless fans “loving every minute of it”? Surely that’s the point of all this, isn’t it? There are lots of folks who’ve listened to the band for 30 or 40 years and know everything there is to know, and they (seemingly) stopped having fun quite some time ago…complaining about everything under the sun. Don’t like the drummer, don’t like the new album, Black Sabbath didn’t play in MY city last time around, don’t like the latest promo video for “The End” tour and on and on and on. Just enjoy yourselves, ’cause this is really IT. I’m kind of worried about Tony now after hearing the announcement of the final tour. Who’s the drummer then? The studio/album guy, the previous tour guy or even Vinny Appice? Tommy would be just fine with me.

You’ll be glad to know that fans of The Cure have exactly the same complaints as Black Sabbath fans! Maybe ‘glad’ isn’t the right word…

How about a Best-less Beatles??

I find it quite anoing that’s all the same as last time… Where are the dates in EUROPE? I want to see them in Birmingham! Time is running, and hopefully I won’t miss to see them as they can’t do it anymore after thos 24 shows! That’s pretty much!

You’ll see them in Birmingham. Probably their final gig ever, too. Lucky you.

They obviously haven’t reconciled with Bill. How lame is that!

Iommi said recently they had talked things around, to a degree although i am not sure who ‘they’ are! Possibly Butler also, following the Novello awards ceremony a few months ago maybe! Not sure about the O$bourne’s!

What do you think the setlist will be?

Care To Take A Pop Guess As To Where The Old Lady & I Will Be 25th February?

The Bill Ward Part: Hopefully He Comes Around, If Not, I’m O.K. With That. A Little Saddened, But O.K., None-The-Less…

Someone On The Original Blabbermouth Article Commented This After Someone Went Off About Ozzy’s Wife/Manager Vs. Bill: Fernando Padron · Caracas, Venezuela Really? And when Mr. Ward had “contract problems” with Heaven & Hell, was it Sharon’s fault too?

Yeah, That’s Kind Of What I Felt/Thought, Too…

Like I Said Earlier, Hopefully He Comes Around, If Not, I’m O.K. With That.

I shall be there simply to see the best guitarist and bassist in metal EVER perform live one last time. Iommi and Butler mean everything to me. I only hope Ozzy and “the drummer” (whoever that may turn out to be) do these two walking gods justice.

Excellent comment, that is how I look at it also, always have, hence the Heaven & Hell gigs etc!

I don’t know who produced this video, but image and words are a bit ridiculous. Do they have such a tiny budget to anounce their grand final tour? That said, I wonder if the tracklist during the tour wil be different from the one of the 13 tour. As the probability is rather low, I guess we won’t get any live CD/DVD at the end… Or maybe do they tour to support the re-release of Forbidden? With guest apparitions of Dave Walker and David Donato? I’m just trying to imagine something which would attract the crowd else than the opportunity to see a band for the last time. Yet, I’m persuaded that they will reform sporadically for a few festival appearances. What a gigantic waste of talent has been this post-1995 Sabbath era. What did we get? Two bonus studio tracks on a live album, an unreleased song that can be heard on a couple of live bootlegs, and a decent full length album. The tour starting in January, the probability is very low that we get some newly released music before.

I don’t really know what to say about that. I’ll get back to you as soon as I get my chin off the floor. You seem to think the band were your/our employees all these years… Don’t forget we got another 2+ years with Ronnie too. I think that as a live band, they were always better with Dio. Far more intricate songwriting, a singer with vocal ability on a different plane when compared to Ozzy and the songs written with Dio always seemed to bring out the best in Tony. He could do a lot more when not limited by the singer. There will probably get another live DVD, by the time this tour is over the last one will be almost three years old!

I think they should call it “The Last Supper”! Wait… that sound familiar…

As you said Joe, this isn’t the first time they’ve done a farewell tour. The thing that makes this one look more real than the ones previous is the age of the guys. They are all pushing 70! I am however a bit skeptical. I think they will make this tour, lay low for a while, Ozzy will realese a new solo album, then the’ll do something (Album? Tour? EP? Mini-tour? Who knows?). I mean – do any one of them really want to retire? I can’t see someone like Iommi not making music. I really think these guys will go on until they bite the dust (which hopefully is a long time from now).

“Kris” mentions Bill Ward; I don’t suppose that Vinnie [Appice] was queried, was he????

If . . . this truly is THE END . . . if I want to see Tony again . . . then, I’ll have to move to England, enroll in Coventry U., and sign up for one of Dr. Iommi’s classes or seminars.

What about Ottawa we sold out for 13 tour Black Sabbath 4ever

So it seems that its Iommi making the call that this is the end. He stated that his body isn’t what it used to be and he is right. Additionally he did state that he met with Bill recently and it was a good meeting and that it was up to Bill as to whether he was going to jump in or not. We shall see what happens but I will be at the Vegas show to observe the SABBATH one last time!

I’ll be in Vegas too. Saw them the first time during the Sabotage tour. This will be lucky number 7.

I’ll hopefully be there 17/4.Last time was a blast.Party time from beginning to end.Great music,great light show very entertaining and they’re promising bigger and better!? Be nice to slip in an unepected track like “After Forever” or “Tomorrow’s Dream” still,even if the set’s pretty much the same it should still be a great night! A little surprised at the lack of comments on this.Thought lots of fans would be running around like their hair’s on fire!

I’m betting the set-list will be completely revamped for this tour, songs from all the albums (no Dio songs, of course). Should be an excellent and varied set-list.

Wow, did I turn out to be wrong!

I bet they will announce summer 2016 dates in european festivals. They could lift up the whole metal movement for 2016, that was expected to be a bit poor in terms of great acts touring

The END? Never the ned, not in my view… THE SABBATH CONTINUES!!!!!!

Setlist: War Pigs, Iron Man ,Paranoid… ;)

Please…. Rehearse a little bit more and play another set list . The fans deserve…. play the three most famous songs alongside others…. Moreover, if not Bill, Appice on drums and Nicolls on keyboards and second guitar… no more Ozzy musicians…

That announcement video is cheesy like a cheap Halloween promo. Just goes to show the business suits and even the general public still don’t understand Black Sabbath. I’m glad they are going to go out with a big production though. And also glad they aren’t going to do another album. 13 was fine, but it was a rehash, albeit a pretty good rehash , and there is not much to add. It got great reviews and a Grammy- end on top. It’s what most bands dream of and never get. Sabbath are Sabbath and I don’t like the constantly referred to as METAL because that is so one dimensional, like this promo video. They never go away – not as long as I have my albums. Its 1972 the moment I hear the beginning of Wheels Of Confusion.

Speaking of 70s Sabbath albums , Joe I wonder why you don’t have Happy Birthday news features on such incredible albums as Sabotage? I understand not wanting the other era albums to go without recognition, but every one of those 80s albums are always worth mention and inspire analysis even today.

There’s also no apostrophe in “teens”. :)

Excellent posting Jeff, couldn’t have said it better myself. Cheers.

All this fuss about Bill Ward. Let’s be honest, the Bill Ward from the original recordings is long gone. Age, and health etc. It seems that it’s almost an attempt at gaining ‘creditt’ amongst some people, the whole ‘It’s not Sabbath without BW” whinging. Tell you what, go to see Sabbath (yes, it is) without BW, and if you can swear that you had an awful time, neither shook a foot nor banged your head once, and left disgusted to the point of nausea having hated every second of Iommi, Butler, and Ozzy playing – THEN your “it’s not Sabbath’ posing will be believable.

If you don’t think it’s Sabbath without BW, I dread to think what you make of Tyr or Headless Cross – both excellent, and both Sabbath.

Got my tickets today for the Kansas City show. Row 27 on the floor! I can’t wait for February 17th!

This is not ‘Black Sabbath’ without bill Ward. Just like Tony Iommi was not ‘Black Sabbath’ when he was by himself touring with other people! I saw them in 2013 without Bill Ward and it was a good show, but. I have tix to see them here in Michigan, USA in February. They are going for the money grab with reserved seating on main floor and outrageously expensive VIP meet and greet packages of $,500 and more. I say this because in 2000 the Reunion Tour with Bill Ward they had General Admission on the main floor and it was a BLAST! to mosh and see the energy in people during the show. Now with reserved tickets they are getting $150 for main floor, but that is nothing compared to Paul McCartney here main floor at $250. Is This The End? Not for Bill Ward, I hope.

Was it not Black Sabbath when -Insert Name Here- was drumming, singing, playing bass, on keyboards?

I mean, obviously there was no other singer in Black Sabbath, except for Ozzy, so… Well, maybe Bill on 2 tracks, but that’d be about it… :-)

“Obviously there was no other singer….”? Aside from Dio, Tony Martin, Glenn Hughes, Ian Gillan, Ray Gillen, David Donato…to name a few. Not exactly obvious, then, wot? Ozzy has always been a mediocre vocalist,camoflaged by superior musicians. Dio brought class to Sabbath. Ozzy barely brought one key. Replace Ozzy with any karaoke singer on the first few albums….impact would be the same. Ozzy was ‘just there’.

I utterly agree!!!

Iommi is Sabbath and Sabbath is Iommi forever…!!!

They could put a disclaimer in the title like with Seventh Star…Black Sabbath NOT featuring Bill Ward.

As Joe said, how many times have we heard “the last”… meh.

At my age, Sabbath is the four gifted artists I’ve loved since I was 12, and my uncle played “Sweet Leaf” and I had my first hit.

>cough<

I find this sad… the fact they could do this while they're all still with us… and they won't.

Anyway, the memories are eternal.

Not THEY won’t…BILL won’t.

Perhaps.. but I’ve read Iommi’s book, and Bill’s interviews, and all the FB wars and I’m not inclined to believe Bill is the villain.

It’s not the 70s anymore. While it sucks, business is business. A pie split three ways is much easier to enjoy than one cut for four. Drummers do not get any credit these day (likely because most “talent” prefers not paying musicians and relying on technology)..

Again, it didn’t have to end like this. Even Cream was able to put it to one side and have a final farewell…

It’ll never be the end, Sabbath will live on forever and eternity as long as there are diehards like us!

I live, breath, eat and sleep Black Sabbath, legends never die!!!!!

really , you dont put much stock in this bein the end? this tour will prob take up the better part(maybe more)of a yr…..add a break to that and you are lookin at 2 yrs befor another tour…. ya…this is it! its called TOO FUKIN OLD!!!!!

Tony Iommi says tracks already written for an another album. But that new album is up in the air. I understand Tony’ s health and that , but this crap with Bill Ward has got to come to an end! Just get all 4 original members on in one room , no other managers, and get this rubbish straightened out once and for all, do the album, do the small tour, and split the money 4 equal eays, and retire happy!! I mean really, how hard is that to do? And I think as fans, the life long supportive ones, deserve to have one last album, and great tour!!

Tony always has songs. But there’s no work on a new Black Sabbath album. There’s also the four unreleased songs from the 13 album. I suspect you have a better chance of seeing those released with a couple of live tracks as opposed to a totally new album. I honestly think after this tour, that’s it. No mas.

Then there’s that 7-8 songs ALLEGEDLY recorded back in 2000/2001, Scary Dreams, etc…

Can do without, but thanks for mentioning it…

The two studio songs on the ‘Reunion’ album have always sounded like Ozzy solo stuff than a concerted ‘Black Sabbath’ effort. The stuff on ’13’ is far far superior to the 1997 attempts at writing songs. Not sure what else might be waiting for us from the 1997 sessions, but if the two we already have were the best of the bunch then there probably isn’t much of interest there. Just a guess.

Judging by the above caption it looks like the end, i guess with Tony’s off and on going cancer regular check ups let’s hope either way he pulls through 100% and after 50 years, have they had enough? There is always a lot of speculation will they or won’t they? No doubt there are perhaps a number of other reasons too, to pull the plug on the legendary Sabbath brilliant career, well there are three questions, will this be their final tour, have they got one more album in them, is there a chance of Bill Ward joining them for one last time, and the Bill Ward nonsense over the last year or so, it’s definitely been a public spat between Ozzy & Bill and i guess to me there is no winner, if it is their last tour it will be great, and no doubt Ozzy will continue as a “solo” act. With Ozzy recording over the next few months, that cancels a new Sabbath album? This will be the 4th time for me in Australia, it would be amazing if they could do a slightly different set by adding Megalomania,Wheels Of Confusion, and the full Sabbath Bloody Sabbath track, but you would have to leave out other gems, at least we have some amazing music over the past 50 odd years. The Ozzy years, The Dio era, Tony The Cat Martin & Glenn Hughes , Ian Gillan, Ray Gillen short lived Sabbath times, David’s comment below is perfect “All Things Must Pass” thanks for some killer music it will live on!

This tour announcement kind of blindsided me. Even with Tony’s health issues, I was expecting a new”final” album and big tour late next year. Which I would be more than ready for. This “the end” tour seems fearfully real. No gimmicks to me. Tony wants to this while he still can, so my best friend and i will be there in full excitement and support. We had just seen AC/DC here in Detroit and feel the same way. As these classic bands age, you never know what will happen, and you may have seen them for the last time. I myself would like to hear the deep cuts on this tour. A National Acrobat, Psycho Man, Johnny Blade, Shock Wave. Maybe a cool Laguna Sunrise from Tony?I know Ozzy can’t sing alot of these songs at the original range anymore, but he doesn’t have to. Fans will still love it!

As George Harrison one said: “All Things Must Pass”

Second Night added at MSG in NYC – Saturday, February 27th

I think everyone should be under no illusion this is really the last gigs Sabbath will ever play, with or without Bill. Tony and Geezer have been hinting at it for a while and they simply can’t go on for ever. my guess is the tour will end in the UK in just before xmas final gigs at Birmingham where i will definately see them come hell or high water.. Even though everyone wants to see Bill on drums one last time i just cannot see him doing it physically, how long since he played a gig never mind a tour, no one wants to see gigs cancelled cos Bill has broken down so my guess it will be Cluftos again, he got a lot better as he got used to playing with the band. it would be ripe for a mammoth 2 -3 hour set somehow getting Ozzy to sing the great Sabotage and Bloody Sabbath favourites as well as Gypsy from Ecstasy, the Ecstasy tracks sound brilliant live. I also would love to hear Wheels of Confusion again ( did id at O2 Brum warm up gig). just about my favourite all time track. Here’s hoping Geoff

Gypsy was always a favorite;who was she anyway Black Sabbath 4ever

Birmingham? Come hell or high water? Is that a Deep Purple joke or pure coincidence?

Bill is about the same age that Ginger Baker was when he did the Cream reunion – a band he hadn’t played with for 36 years (!) so it isn’t at all impossible. Ozzy has banged on ad nauseum about how physically unfit Ward is – which is part of cause the personal spat between them, obviously, but very early in this war of words he also tried to imply Bill wasn’t up to it mentally.. Some of his criticisms included “He needed post it notes all over his kit” and “He didn’t know what the fuck we were doing”. Bill has been interviewed a lot recently and he seems very lucid and sharp – in marked contrast to the guy slagging him off. It seems pretty obvious that Ozyy was talking bullshit about Bill’s mental wellbeing, so I am hoping he was talking shite about his physical health as well. Bill has just recorded an album with a rock trio (I wish he’d hurry up and release it!) and is talking about doing live gigs with both the Bill Ward Band and this rock trio – so there is hope he can still handle it. Bottom line, why did Tony Iommi say whether Ward is on board with the tour or album is “up to Bill”. If Ozzy’s accusations were true, how could it be up to Bill?

I can see your point in all but the beginning of your comment! Ginger Baker had to only play half a dozen gigs for the Cream reunion! Then a few more later that year at MSG. Jack Bruce had not fully recovered from his liver transplant the year before, that could have also had something to do with the limited number of concerts!

I for once hope this is really the end. There’s nothing that can be done with Ozzy anymore. My dream scenario would be Tony getting together with Glenn and recording a new album and perhaps doing a couple of gigs playing the songs from the DEP Sessions and Fused.

Any news on the EU tour dates? The band have posted some of them on their website. And when i’saying some of them i mean they can’t be missing the UK right? Keep us posted Joe. Thank you in advance! Rock on!

As a drummer myself there’s a huge detail most of the “Whoever the drummer is , still Sabbath” people seem to ignore. Bill Ward has the unique Sabbath’s “orchestral” beat nobody can replicate. Maybe Brad Will coulda/shoulda have done it but I guess he was obviously way too starstruck too even dare to suggest what to play. I think he got there and play as simple as he could in order to not to rise any eyebrows or being shown the door. Bill Ward is as important to the original Sabbath sound as Ozzy’s voice. Yeah, You can try filling in the holes with a way better singer as Hughes or a beast of a drummer like Cufletos but…Thats not Sabbath. Thats a substitute. A non-alcoholic beer. A cold piece of pizza. Bill’s technique can hold him trough a 2 hours gig. You don’t need to be basher to be loud. You need to hit the right (sweet) spot on the drums. Look at Bonham. He didn’t rise his elbows or cracked any crashes. He was still the loudest drummer ever. You guys can go there and have fun. Move your feet and rise your hands in the hand. And might not even feel ripped off. But that won’t change the fact that you’re only getting 75% of the thing not the real thing.

Ofcourse it would be awesome to have Ward there, but its too late in the game to miss these guys over a protest. Why not have Vinny in tow like the 99 tour as a backup? Just as importantly to me is the setlist. Hoping they go out with all guns blazing, namely a few tunes from even the lesser known lps. Don’t care if Ozzy has to sing an octave lower (like he did on parts of Sabbath Bloody and Spiral on Reunion), just do it! Namely, stuff from Never Say Die and Ecstasy – and not just Dirty Women!

Joe, your tour dates list includes Saskatoon on 01/28 which has been canceled, but does not include Winnipeg on 01/27 which is still active.

Check out Bill’s Facebook page, he’s at it again. He’ll never sit on the drum stool for Sabbath again. At least we know now. I’ve lost all respect for him now, not that he cares. He claims to care so deeply for us Sabbath fans. Bullshit. See ya, Bill.

What’s with all this Bill Ward hate stuff. He’s had enough, so what. If Sabbath tour again without him it’s still great news. What do you all know about this anyway? If Tony & Geezer have had talks with Bill & he’ unwilling then the show goes on without him. Do any of you lot jump about of bed in the morning after doing the same job for 46 years with the same enthusiasm! I will still support this band to the end even if it’s just Tony.

I agree with you (about the band, not Bill.) I like the band just the way it is. Bill is just being a total dick about the whole thing…and in public too. I’m criticizing his ridiculous attitude and demands, not the man himself…although it’s pretty hard to separate them. He’s had enough?? Of what? We the fans have had enough.

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Black Sabbath Announce Final Tour ‘The End’

By Kory Grow

Black Sabbath have announced “The End,” their farewell tour set to kick off in January. The group is promising concerts that “surpass all previous tours with their most mesmerizing production ever.” The North American leg begins in January in Omaha and ends in February at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. The band  will do a leg  in Australia and New Zealand in April and will be announcing more shows next month.

As with the group’s reunion album, 13 , and its subsequent tours, the Black Sabbath lineup on this tour will consist of Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler. Although they did not specify who would be playing drums, the drummer from Osbourne’s solo group, Tommy Clufetos, played all of the previous dates. Prior to recording the LP, the band had a falling out with original drummer Bill Ward, who  told Rolling Stone  in April that he did not know whether or not he was still a group member.

“I wish them well, and I have no further comment,” Ward tells  Rolling Stone in a statement about this tour.

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Osbourne has said previously that the group would also be recording a final album. Last September, he told Metal Hammer that he was hoping to begin writing sessions with his bandmates in early 2015. “If we’re going to do [it], I want to do it before I’m 70,” the 66-year-old rocker said. “Time isn’t on our side. So [Sharon Osbourne] made the call and came back and said, ‘Yeah, the record company wants another album.’ I believe Rick Rubin is going to do it with us again.” Black Sabbath’s tour announcement did not mention a new record.

Black Sabbath North American Tour Dates:

January 20 – Omaha, NE @ CenturyLink Center January 22 – Chicago, IL @ United Center January 25 – Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center January 28 – Saskatoon, SK @ Sasktel Centre January 30 – Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Centre February 1 – Calgary, ON @ Scotiabank Saddledome February 3 – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena February 6 – Tacoma, WA @ Tacoma Dome February 9 – San Jose, CA @ SAP Center February 11 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Forum February 13 – Las Vegas, NV @ Mandalay Bay Events Center February 15 – Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center February 17 – Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center February 19 – Detroit, MI @ The Palace of Auburn Hills February 21 – Hamilton, ON @ FirstOntario Centre February 23 – Montreal, QB @ Bell Centre February 25 – New York City, NY @ Madison Square Garden

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Clufetos on drums for Sabbath's The End tour

Rehearsal video featuring sticksman Tommy seems to confirm Bill Ward won't reunite with Ozzy and co for final fling

Black Sabbath have released a short video from their rehearsals for The End tour showing Tommy Clufetos on drums.

As widely expected, the clip seemingly confirms that original Sabbath drummer Bill Ward will not take part in what will be the band’s last ever live shows. Clufetos played with Sabbath on their shows in support of last album 13 .

Ward dropped out of the band’s 2011 reunion and subsequent album, saying he hadn’t been offered a “signable” contract. The disagreement later exploded into a war of words between him and frontman Ozzy Osbourne.

Guitarist Tony Iommi said last year that a return to the lineup for Ward looked highly unlikely , while Ward himself said he thought the standoff between him and his former bandmates was “very sad.”

Ward repeated his demand for a public apology from Osbourne over claims that the drummer was not fit enough to tour. Asked if he would return, Ward added: “If everybody could get on the same page – my page. I’ve been quite pronounced about my page, which is a signable contract and an apology over certain issues that Ozzy said about me that weren’t true.”

The End tour sees Sabbath play around the world as a farewell to the fans. They’ll headline the Download festival on Saturday, June 11.

Last October, Osbourne confirmed that Sabbath won’t record another album.

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Black Sabbath: Bill Ward - The Wayward Son

Stef wrote close to 5,000 stories during his time as assistant online news editor and later as online news editor between 2014-2016. An accomplished reporter and journalist, Stef has written extensively for a number of UK newspapers and also played bass with UK rock favourites Logan. His favourite bands are Pixies and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Stef left the world of rock'n'roll news behind when he moved to his beloved Canada in 2016, but he started on his next 5000 stories in 2022. 

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Bill Ward on Black Sabbath’s Final Tour: I’d Need a “Signable Contract and an Apology” to Do It

Estranged  Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward spoke with North Carolina radio station 106.5 WSFL recently and during his interview, the drummer talked about the possibility of returning to Black Sabbath for their final tour. Ward says in order to do that he'd need two things: a “signable contract” from the group and a public apology from Ozzy Osbourne regarding some of the things he has said about Ward. During the interview, Ward said he doubted he’ll receive either of those things so he “probably won’t be joining the band in 2016.” You can listen to his full interview below.

Osbourne and Ward have been exchanging fairly public verbal criticisms of each other ever since Ward parted ways with the band going into the recording of their 2013 album '13.' Ward felt he was given “an unsignable contract” by the band and after that Osbourne was extremely critical of Ward, even criticizing his weight and endurance.

Ward told WSFL Radio, "If everybody could get on the same page… my page. I've been quite pronounced about my page, which is a signable contract and an apology over certain issues that Ozzy said about me that weren't true. I'd like him to publicly apologize. He said these things at the public level, so I'd like him to publicly apologize. He's already responded to that, saying that'll never happen. So, as long as that'll never happen, then I probably won't be joining the band in 2016."

Ward went on to say he is saddened by the whole situation and upset that fans are angry about the riff between himself and Osbourne. "Do I love them? Yes, I do. Would I like to play with them? Yes, I would. Am I upset about all the upset? Yes, I am.” He continued, “I'm very, very sad by all the fans' reactions and the way that things have split and gone different ways and everything else. It's not nice at all to be in this position, and it's not an easy responsibility for me to maintain when uncountable amounts of people are angry with my decision-making process, which was that I need a signable contract. And now I need an apology. First, it was, I just need a contract, guys."

Even if he doesn’t participate in the band’s final tour, the drummer will be keeping himself busy. He recently released an album called Accountable Beasts with the Bill Ward Band and revealed he has a new rock trio that has just begun work on their first album.

Listen to Bill Ward Speak About the Final Black Sabbath tour

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The Real Reasons Bill Ward Quit Black Sabbath

When Black Sabbath  recorded its final studio album, "13," in 2013 and rode off into the sunset after concluding their "The End" farewell tour in 2017, fans were glad that three-fourths of the original lineup — singer Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, and bassist Geezer Butler — were back together despite the myriad lineup changes that plagued the group for much of the 1980s and 1990s. However, there was one OG Sabbath member missing from those farewell efforts, and it was their powerful and innovative drummer, Bill Ward, who didn't take part in either endeavor — Rage Against the Machine drummer Brad Wilk sat behind the kit for "13," while Tommy Clufetos, who plays for Osbourne's solo band, handled live drumming duties during Sabbath's final years as a band (via Ultimate Classic Rock ).

The drama behind Ward's 2012 exit from Sabbath has been well-documented; for one, he declared in 2015 that he "will not participate in any musical undertakings until a righting of the wrongs spoken against me has been achieved." And while we shall also be revisiting this departure and the circumstances behind it, any discussion of Ward leaving Sabbath should start from the time he first quit more than three decades prior. This all happened during a rather interesting time in the band's history, one where Ronnie James Dio had just established himself as Ozzy's replacement on vocals.

Alcohol drove Bill Ward to quit Sabbath in the early '80s

Bill Ward's first departure from Black Sabbath came quite abruptly, as he apparently walked away from the band after muttering a quick goodbye over the phone to  Ronnie James Dio — no pre-composed statements or anything to that effect, just a simple "I'm off then, Ron." But why did he choose to leave a band that had just found its second wind with the 1980 album, "Heaven and Hell," and was busy touring behind that release?

Recently, Tony Iommi corroborated Ward's no-fanfare exit in a February 2021 interview with Ultimate Classic Rock , recalling that the drummer suddenly left after a show in Denver without giving much notice. "It really shocked me because I'd known Bill long before the others, really," he related. "I played with Bill for two or three years before we ever got together with [Ozzy Osbourne] and [Geezer Butler]. It was a hell of a shock. "

According to Iommi, Ward chose to "run away" from Black Sabbath because his drinking had gotten out of hand and he was no longer happy with the band. Weeks later, Ward himself admitted to this during a guest appearance on "The Eddie Trunk Podcast" (via Ultimate Guitar ), explaining that he'd reached a point where drinking "became more important than anything else." However, he also revealed another reason why he decided to quit Sabbath in the middle of what was a very important tour for the group.

Ward says he was having difficulty adjusting to a new frontman

In the aforementioned interview with Eddie Trunk, Bill Ward elaborated on his past battle with the bottle and how it affected him toward the end of his first stint with Black Sabbath. But he had some interesting comments about the other reason behind his departure — as it seems, he wasn't used to playing Sabbath songs with someone other than Ozzy Osbourne singing them. As such, he had "a lot of difficulties" adjusting to life on stage with Ronnie James Dio. 

"I'm not talking about personal front about Ronnie, it just was so different and so difficult for me to accept and to think that that was the norm — that was the new norm — especially when we did songs like 'Black Sabbath,' and things like that," Ward clarified, per Ultimate Guitar . "I played them as best as I could on stage, so I was having difficulty with that. I think my biggest fault was that I wasn't being honest with anybody at all. I was drinking more, and I wasn't being sincere."

Ward would eventually return to Black Sabbath in time for the recording of 1983's "Born Again," an album that's since become infamous for its  atrocious cover and the unfortunate presence of Deep Purple's Ian Gillan as Dio's replacement on vocals — great frontman, but arguably not the best fit for Sabbath. Despite those issues, the drummer looked back fondly on "Born Again,"  recalling to Trunk that he recorded his tracks during the early stages of his sobriety and got along quite well with his bandmates during the making of the album.

Ward's final departure from Sabbath was quite the messy one

As it turned out, "Born Again" would be the last Black Sabbath album that Bill Ward played on (via Ultimate Guitar ). He quietly left the group soon after "Born Again" hit record stores, but would reunite a few times with his old bandmates. Suffice to say, there was nothing quiet about the last time Ward quit Black Sabbath.

Originally, the plan was for Ward to rejoin Iommi, Butler, and Ozzy Osbourne for what was supposed to be their final album and farewell tour, but the veteran drummer's return fell through due to contractual issues, as he felt the deal to bring him back wasn't a fair one. In a statement he issued in May 2012 (via Ultimate Classic Rock ), he went into greater detail, effectively confirming that he wouldn't be part of the tour because he wasn't happy with the limited on-stage role he was offered. "I believe I'd been offered no more than three songs to play while another drummer presumably played the rest of the show with Black Sabbath," he explained. "I was not willing to participate in that offer. I was not prepared to watch another drummer play a Sabbath set, while I was to play only three songs. "

Despite the years of bitter  back-and-forth statements between Ward and his former bandmates, including Osbourne's claim that Ward was in no physical shape to fully participate in Sabbath's 2013 tour, he told Eddie Trunk in 2021 that he still has hopes of reuniting with Osbourne, Iommi, and Butler to record yet another studio album, as cited by Louder .

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With Bill Ward out of the picture, why wasn't the Dio/Heaven and Hell drummer approached for Black Sabbath's final tour?

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