Black Sabbath's Bill Ward Gets Paranoid

Ozzy’s presence had always been a key part of Black Sabbath, according to Bill, who would often follow the iconic frontman around with a tape recorder waiting for flashes of inspiration. “Every ten minutes he would throw out a word or a statement that, more often than not, would end up in one of our songs. He has so much talent all the time – it was just a question of gathering that,” Bill explains. “Sometimes I would do the same for Tony as well. He would just be banging away and I’d pass through the room with my tape recorder on, and by the time I walked out other side there would be about five riffs on there that we could use. We always used to have one or two tape recorders running, which was great for whenever Tony would pluck one out of the bag- which he did all the time,” he adds.

With the chemistry between the band’s original foursome hugely important to Bill, it wasn’t long after Ozzy’s departure that he began to lose his passion and succumb to similar drink and drug problems. Bill describes this as the toughest period of his life, saying: “I thought it was the end of everything, and I certainly thought it was the end of Black Sabbath for me. Back then I was an alcoholic and an addict, and when I left the band it was like the end of the world to me.” 

But the once-troubled drummer has since bounced back, and has various solo projects underway. Currently working an EP with his own band, Bill still sees some possibility of Black Sabbath making a reunion to go back on tour. Whilst the band do exist officially with the original four members back in the line up, Black Sabbath have not toured for over three years, and it has been even longer since any new material has been produced. Bill describes how he would feel about Black Sabbath reuniting full-time again: “I have a total open mind to any touring and a complete open mind to anything that we might want to do in the studio. I have a deep love for Ozzy, Tony and Geezer, and I love being around the fellas. I’ve left that door wide open because my heart is and always will be with Black Sabbath.”