Geezer Butler provides homage to Ozzy Osbourne and reveals behind the scenes of the last meeting

Black Sabbath Bassist published homage in the time days after the death of the singer, with memories of a relationship that lasted almost six decades

Geezer ButlerBassist of Black Sabbath, he published an article in the British newspaper TimesSunday 27, in honor of Ozzy Osbournewho died at the age of 76 on Tuesday 22 years. In the text, Butler shares moments of coexistence with the singer, from the first years of Aston, a Birmingham worker, until the last performance of the band at Villa Park this month.

The article begins with a recent memory: a promotional campaign of Aston Villa, in which Butler and Osbourne participated in a video to launch the new club uniform. The action, which simulated a phone call between the two to play together with the team stadium, reached great repercussions on social networks.

The relationship between Osbourne and Butler began in his youth. Both grew around the stadium of the Aston Villa, attended the same region and, in 1968, founded the band that would later become Black Sabbath, together with Tony Iommi AND Bill Ward.

In the report, Butler describes the meeting with Osbourne in the tests for the band’s latest show, held on 5 July in Birmingham. According to him, the state of health of the singer was already delicate.

“I knew he wasn’t healthy, but he was not ready to see how fragile it was. He was witnessed to enter the rehearsal room with two helpers and a nurse and was using a barrel from Ozzy, the barrel was black and laughing with gold and precious stones. He was exhausted after six or seven songs.

During the final presentation, the band was unable to repeat the usual closing rituals. Butler mentions that there was no traditional embrace among the members, since Osbourne remained sitting on his “throne” on stage.

“What do we do? Tony squeezed his hand, I introduced him to a cake, but it was a strange feeling to finish our story. I would like to have more time behind the scenes with Ozzy, but the desires are redundant now. As Ozzy said,” desire in one hand, c **** in another and see what comes first “” wrote the bassist.

Butler also remembers surprising episodes of the band’s formation, including the first meeting with Osbourne, who appeared at the door of his home with a dress and holding a fireplace brush. The text also mentions how the four musicians met and decided to form the group, initially called Earth.

In addition to the professional moments, Butler highlights the personal relationship with Osbourne. It reports that, even after long periods without direct contact, the singer was present in important situations. During a hospitalization of his son, for example, Osbourne called daily to get to know the news.

The text ends with thanks to the shared trajectory and the opportunity to perform together for the last time.

“Nobody knew that he would leave us just over two weeks after the final show. But I am very grateful to have played together one last time before his beloved fans. The affection of the fans and all the bands, musicians, singers and solo artists that night was incredible in a few years? Incredible journey!

Read the full text:

“Geezer Butler: Ozzy Osbourne was the prince of laughter

From the day when Ozzy arrived barefoot at his door of the exciting final show, three weeks ago, the bassist of Sabbath Black reflects over 57 years of friendship.

A little over a year ago, the Aston Villa advertising department contacted me by asking if I would have been interested in launching the new uniform of Villa da Adidas. The scenario explained: Ozzy Osbourne called me asking if I would play at Villa Park with him and I said: “As long as I play on the left”. Of course, the video became viral and had the highest number of views between all the outputs of the uniform from football in that season. That was Ozzy’s power.

Aston Villa was a huge presence for us in Aston. When I was a child, Ozzy’s humble house was a few hundred meters from the stadium, just like mine. I was a fanatic for Villa – I am still – and I was going to all the games allowed by my allowance, while Ozzy “took care of the cars of fans for a few cents. Therefore, it was quite appropriate for Ozzy and Black Sabbath, concluded the long journey from our start in 1968 to our latest show at Aston at Villa Park on July 5th. I did not imagine that I would never see Ozzy after that night.

The tests for that last show began a month earlier in a study in rural oxfordshire. Tony Iommi, Bill Ward and I played seven songs together. Of course, without playing together for 20 years, it took a few days to get rid of rust.

So the time has come to join Ozzy. I knew he wasn’t good for health, but I wasn’t ready to see how fragile he was. He was helped to enter the rehearsal room by two helpers and a nurse and wore a stick: Ozzy, the stick was black and stored with gold and precious stones. He did not say well beyond the usual greetings, and when he sang, he sat on a chair. We passed the songs, but we realized that it was running out after six or seven songs. We talked a little, but it was quite silent compared to Ozzy’s old man. After a few more weeks, we were ready for the show.

For me, Ozzy was not the prince of darkness – in fact, he was the prince of laughter. He did anything for a laugh, a born artist. The first time I met him was when I was returning home after whole nights in a rock disco called Penthouse in Birmingham. I had long hair under the shoulders and I looked like a hippie. Ozzy was on the other side of the road with respect to all the nights of soul in Brum, with her short hair and a modern dress. Completely in front of the other. As soon as I learned then that in a year we would have formed what would become Black Sabbath and we would create a totally new form of rock.

In 1968, the half -time band was part of it was looking for a singer. I saw an announcement in a music shop in the center of Birmingham with the words “Ozzy Zig needs a concert” (something like “Ozzy Zig needs space in a band”). His address was in the announcement and I saw that he lived at three or four isolated from me, so I went to knock on his door, just to hear from his sister that Ozzy was not. I left my address with her, and later that night, while the Butler family was sitting at dinner, knocked on the door. My brother replied and said, “Hey, there is something to the door that asks you.” I asked: “What do you mean by” something? “He replied,” You’ll see. “

It was the short boy that I had seen returning home after the nights in the course, but he was not in a jacket and tie – he had Alkk Marrone of his father, a fireplace brush on the shoulder, a shoe on the package and bare feet. He said: “I’m Ozzy”. After stopping laughing, I said: “Okay, you are in the band”.

Thus began the most surprising journey of our lives. Tony Iommi lived in two streets of my house, so we went there to see if he knew a drummer. He said: “Yes, Bill Ward, and it’s here if you want to talk to him.” Bill heard what we had to say and agreed to join us as long as Tony appeared. And so the earth was born, which later moved to the black Sabbath.

Our first show ended in a huge fight. Being from Aston, you had to know how to defend yourself, and certainly Ozzy and Tony, in particular, were not related to the fighting. We become inseparable brothers, to always take care of each other. People always found Ozzy a wild man, but had a heart of pure gold. Most of his notorious malice – the bats of bats, bites the head of a dove, urine in the Delmo, the smell of ants files and the rest – has occurred in the years as a soloist, away from the restrictions of Saturday’s team. But if I were a friend in trouble, Ozzy would always be there to help you. When my son was born with a heart problem, Ozzy called me every day to find out how I was treating, even without speaking for a year.

When we promoted Adidas at the Aston Villa, I have not seen or spoke with Ozzy from the tour EndFrom Black Sabbath in 2017. But there was always an invisible connection between Ozzy, Tony, Bill and Me. We had passed the best and worst moments; The bond was unpleasant.

And so he went to the final show. The strangest part of that show was the end. Usually we all hugged ourselves and we have a reverence for the public. But Ozzy was on his throne and we hadn’t thought about it.

What do we do? Tony squeezed his hand, I introduced him to a cake, but it was such a strange feeling to finish our story. I would like to have had more time behind the scenes with Ozzy, but the desires are redundant now. As Ozzy said, “Wish in one hand, shit in another and see what comes first”.

Nobody knew that he would leave us just over two weeks after the final show. But I am very grateful to have played together one last time before your beloved fans. The affection of the fans and all the bands, musicians, singers and solo artists that night was fantastic. Everything came to pay homage to the prince. I was very privileged that I spent most of my life with him. Of course there are millions of things that I will remember and that I should have written, but how can I summarize 57 years of friendship in some paragraphs?

God bless you, Oz, it was a fantastic journey! I love you! “

Source: Terra

Ashley

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