Black Sabbath was one of the first heavy metal bands to be formed in 1968, and they later rose to prominence. After eleven years with the same lineup, the group saw a number of lineup changes and reunions as original members left and came back. Ozzy Osbourne does have a well-liked reality show, so you probably know what he’s been doing to lately. However, you might not be up to date on all the current Black Sabbath members. Continue reading to learn more about the 70-year-old rockers Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Bill Ward, and Geezer Butler.
Black Sabbath had a turbulent career.
Black Sabbath issued eight studio albums between 1970 and 1979, including Paranoid, Masters of Reality, and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. The band’s lead singer Osbourne was later let go in 1979 as a result of his drug misuse problems.
I was loaded at certain practises we had in Los Angeles, but I was loaded always. I Am Ozzy, Ozzy’s 2009 autobiography, was published by Ultimate Classic Rock “Bill wasn’t exactly the firing type, so it was clear that the others had sent him. I don’t recall all he said to me, but the point was that Tony considered me a sour, coked-up loser who was a waste of time for everyone.”
When Ronnie James Dio took Osbourne’s place, a string of lineup alterations over the following couple decades began. Iommi is the only member that has remained with the group throughout. Ozzy Osbourne and the other founding members came and went before the band’s official dissolution in 2017. With the exception of Ward, they embarked on a farewell tour that year.
Ozzy Osbourne made his family famous.
Osbourne started his solo career after leaving the group. He has released 13 albums since 1980. In September 2022, the most recent, Patient Number 9, was published. Recent voiceover projects for the 74-year-old have included Sherlock Gnomes and Trolls World Tour.
When Osbourne started appearing on the MTV reality series The Osbournes in 2002, he attracted a new fanbase. His wife Sharon Osbourne and kids Kelly and Jack Osbourne were featured in the show. Aimee Osbourne, the couple’s additional daughter, was not included on the programme. With his first wife, Thelma Riley, Osbourne also has two other children: Louis Osbourne and Jessica Osbourne.
Tony Iommi played in a Sabbath spinoff band.
Black Sabbath’s 74-year-old guitarist Iommi is the only band member to have remained with them throughout their entire career. In addition, he has released songs under his own name, beginning with the 2000 album Iommi. He was a member of the group Heaven & Hell from 2006 until 2010, which included Iommi, Butler, Dio, and Vinny Appice, all of Black Sabbath (who had, for a time, replaced Ward as drummer). To stand out from the Black Sabbath lineup that was in place when Ozzy Osbourne came back, Heaven & Hell was created.
Iommi has had four marriages, including his most recent union with Maria Sjöholm in 2005. Toni-Marie Iommi, a child from his second marriage to Melinda Diaz, is his only child.
Bill Ward was a radio host.
Ward, the band’s original drummer, joined and left the ensemble beginning in the 1980s. He stayed out from Black Sabbath’s final two tours, The End Tour in 2017 and the Reunion Tour in 2012. Ward has created solo music, including three studio albums, and he also plays in a group named the Bill Ward Band, just like his former comrades. Additionally, the 74-year-old conducted a radio show.
Ward has had four marriages and three children.
Terence “Geezer” Butler was part of a supergroup.
Black Sabbath bassist Butler had breaks from the group over the years, starting right after Osbourne was let go. In 1995, he formed his own band, GZR, and was a member of Heaven & Hell. He joined the short-lived ensemble Deadland Ritual in 2018, which included musicians who had previously played with Billy Idol, Apocalyptica, Guns N’ Roses, and more.
Butler, 73, and his wife Gloria Butler have been married for more than 40 years. James and Biff Butler are his sons.
