Bill Ward and Geezer Butler remember late Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne: “You’re forever in my heart”

23 July, 2025

Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward and bassist Geezer Butler have remembered their late bandmate, longtime friend and metal icon Ozzy Osbourne.

It was announced on Tuesday (July 22) that the iconic singer had died at the age of 76, with his family saying he was “surrounded by love”.

The timing of the news has been particularly impactful given that it was less than three weeks ago that Osbourne headlined the giant ‘Back To The Beginning’ concert at Villa Park in Birmingham.

On July 5, Osbourne played alongside guitarist Tony Iommi, Butler and Ward for the first time since 2005, with the band performing a four-song set that concluded with Osbourne telling the crowd: “Your support has enabled us to live an amazing lifestyle, thank you from the bottom of our hearts”.

Ward – who had a rocky relationship with Ozzy over the last decade-and-a-half – wrote on X: “Where will I find you now? In the memories, our unspoken embraces, our missed phone calls, no, you’re forever in my heart. Deepest condolences to Sharon and all family members. RIP Sincere regrets to all the fans. Never goodbye. Thank you forever.”

Butler wrote in his own post: “Goodbye dear friend – thanks for all those years – we had some great fun. 4 kids from Aston- who’d have thought, eh? So glad we got to do it one last time, back in Aston. Love you.”

The July 5 show marked the first time that Ozzy Osbourne and Ward had shared the stage together since 2005. All four original members of Black Sabbath in 2011 announced that they would be recording a new album and going on tour in 2012, but Ward dropped out, alleging that he had been delivered an “unsignable contract”, which he blamed Sharon Osbourne for.

This led to Ozzy, Iommi and Butler enlisting Rage Against The Machine’s Brad Wilk for the album ’13’, while drummer Tommy Clufetos from Ozzy’s solo band filled in for Ward.

This led to a back and forth between Ward and Ozzy, who at one point wrote on Facebook: “Bill, stop this smokescreen about an ‘unsignable contract’ and let’s be honest. Deep down inside you knew you weren’t capable of doing the album and a 16 month tour. Unfortunately for you, our instincts were correct as you were in hospital several times during 2013…Bill, we go back a long way, let’s stop this now before it gets out of hand. God bless you.”

While the full details of how Ward and Osbourne made amends remain private, they’d been chummy in pictures captured leading up to the final ‘Back To The Beginning’ concert.

Iommi also shared his own post remembering Ozzy: “I just can’t believe it! My dear dear friend Ozzy has passed away only weeks after our show at Villa Park. It’s just such heartbreaking news that I can’t really find the words, there won’t ever be another like him. Geezer, Bill and myself have lost our brother. My thoughts go out to Sharon and all the Osbourne family. Rest in peace Oz.”

During the ‘Back To The Beginning’ show on July 5, Ozzy Osbourne performed two short sets: one of his solo material, and the second with Black Sabbath. For his solo set, Ozzy played ‘I Don’t Know’, ‘Mr. Crowley’, ‘Suicide Solution’, ‘Mama, I’m Coming Home’ and ‘Crazy Train’. With Black Sabbath, he performed ‘War Pigs’, ‘Iron Man’, ‘N.I.B.’ and ‘Paranoid’.

In an interview earlier this year, Osbourne looked ahead to playing the last Black Sabbath show in good health, saying: “I’ll be there, and I’ll do the best I can. All I can do is turn up.” He sat down for the duration of the performance.

His wife and manager, Sharon, also told NME that although he “can’t walk” as a result of Parkinson’s, his illness “didn’t affect his voice”. “He wants to say thank you to everybody,” she explained to us at Villa Park. “He didn’t have that chance because of his illness, but now he does have the chance.”

Among the people who have paid tribute to Ozzy Osbourne are Elton John, Metallica, Tom Morello, Yungblud, who performed at ‘Back To The Beginning’ and personally gifted a custom-made gold cross to Osbourne at the finale show and more – check them out here.

The post Bill Ward and Geezer Butler remember late Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne: “You’re forever in my heart” appeared first on NME.