Bill Ward "Open-Minded" About Reunion With Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath Press Conference

At least three Black Sabbath co-founders are open to getting the iconic metal band's original lineup back together.

Most significantly, that number includes the one member, drummer Bill Ward, who reportedly walked away from the negotiating table ahead of the band's final studio album, 13, and farewell tour.

Sabbath front man Ozzy Osbourne and guitarist Tony Iommi have both in recent months confirmed their interest, not only in performing one more time as Black Sabbath, but in doing so with Ward. Bassist Geezer Butler has apparently yet to be asked.

Ward has likely been overwhelmed recently with questions about his former band mates' comments, so he responded in a video message posted to Twitter last week, titled 'A quick update.'

"I wanted to say that I love Tony, Geezer and Ozzy very much," Ward stated. I've loved them for a long time and I still do, and I would be very open-minded to any ideas about playing together in the future."

Despite being frustrated with how his last flirtation with Black Sabbath ended, Ward has remained steadfast in his appreciation of his old band mates as individuals and his pride in the music they created together. Following Black Sabbath's last performance, Ward posted a lengthy eulogy to the band, thanking his former mates and their fans for a great career.

Ward was initially slated to be part of Black Sabbath's swan song, but later bid farewell to the band after being unable to reach an agreement on a contract. Osbourne, Iommi and Butler later attributed Ward's absence to health issues that prevented him from touring. Despite a heart issue that later caused him to cancel tour dates with his band Day of Errors, Ward has refuted rumors about being in poor health, insisting that his split with Sabbath was purely business-related.

Since then, Osbourne and Iommi have openly wondered why Ward wasn't with them on their final tour as Black Sabbath, placing the blame on their management for not getting the deal done. Distance between the members of Black Sabbath and their managers might explain why Ward doesn't seem to harbor any bad blood against his former band mates, and even reunited with Iommi and Butler at a Recording Academy event in May.

In one interview, Iommi suggested that he believed part of the reason the band pressed on without its co-founding drummer was over concerns for his own health.

Iommi was undergoing cancer treatment during the last Black Sabbath tour and there was a fear that his health could take a turn at any time. As long as Iommi was healthy enough to travel, Black Sabbath was going to tour.

Photo: Getty Images


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