Geezer Butler rekindles friendship with Ozzy Osbourne and agrees to play Villa Park gig

They're now chatting "every day"

Geezer Butler and Ozzy Osbourne in 2016
Author: Scott ColothanPublished 30th May 2024
Last updated 30th May 2024

Geezer Butler says he’s now talking to his Black Sabbath band mate Ozzy Osbourne "every day practically" following their recent “miscommunication.”

During a November interview with Rolling Stone UK, Ozzy Osbourne publicly chastised Geezer Butler for allegedly not being in touch during his ongoing health woes.

“You do find out who’s a genuine friend when you’ve been through what I’ve had,” Ozzy blasted at the time. “Tony Iommi has been so supportive of me since my illness. Geezer Butler hasn’t given me one f---ing phone call. Not one f---ing call.”

He continued: “It’s sad, man. We all grew up together, and he can’t pick up the f---ing phone like a man and see how I’m doing. Even Bill Ward has been in touch with me.”

“I’m not in shock, I’m just very f---ing sad that he can’t just call me after all this time and say, ‘How you doing?’ F---ing arsehole.”

Black Sabbath on The End Tour in 2016

This prompted Geezer issue a statement, saying: “Rumour has it; Ozzy is upset, saying he never received my get well messages,” Geezer wrote. “I made 2 different attempts at getting in touch during his illnesses. My first email (8 Feb, 2019) went through his office because I didn’t have Ozzy’s new number to text him. Sharon responded but I didn’t hear back from Ozzy.

“11 months later (21 Jan, 2020), I emailed Sharon to check on Oz. That email went unanswered.

“I don’t want to engage in a tit for tat. Having made 2 attempts to wish Ozzy well , without a reply, I figured it best to privately keep him in my thoughts.”

In a fresh interview with Eddie Trunk’s Trunk Nation, Geezer says that he and Ozzy are now chatting every day.

"There was a lot of miscommunication (before),” Geezer explained. “He didn't think I was asking about his health because I know he's been going through a lot of health problems, and I was sending all these messages to him and they weren't being passed on to him. So he thought I was just ignoring him."

The bassist and lyricist added: "The weird way I had to go through Sabbath's accountant to tell Ozzy I'd sent him all these things. Because he did this thing in Rolling Stone saying that I hadn't been in touch with him about his health.

“So I went through the accountant, and he got in touch with Ozzy and said, 'He's just been sending you stuff. He wants to talk to you.' And we've been fine since that."

Geezer was also asked about Ozzy Osbourne’s recent comments that he would like Black Sabbath to play one final gig with drummer Bill Ward.

"Of course there's an interest (on my part to do it), but there's a big 'but' — you'd have to speak to Bill about it. Everybody wants to do it (but I don't know if he is) capable (of pulling it off).

"I'd love to do it. I'd absolutely love to do it.”

Geezer also said: "Ozzy was hoping to finish it all off next year back in Aston, at the Aston Villa ground. I'm definitely up for it, to finish the whole thing off."

Asked if Tony Iommi or Bill Ward had been approached to play together, Butler responded: "Me and Ozzy have agreed, but I'm not sure about anybody else."

Sharon Osbourne first revealed in January that Ozzy was hoping to play Villa Park as a goodbye to his fans this summer. It now seems those plans have been pushed back to 2025.

The real names of 100 rockers, including Geezer Butler and Ozzy Osbourne:

Cozy Powell’s real name: Colin Trevor Flooks


Alex Lifeson’s real name: Alexandar Živojinović

'Lifeson' is a semi-literal English translation of the Yugoslavian surname Živojinović, which means 'son of life'

Ginger Baker's real name: Peter Edward Baker


John 5’s real name: John William Lowery


Yngwie Malmsteen’s real name: Lars Johann Yngwie Lannerback


Rudy Sarzo’s real name: Rodolfo Maximiliano Sarzo Lavieille Grande Ruiz Payret y Chaumont


Eric Carr's real name: Paul Charles Caravello


Vinnie Vincent’s real name: Vincent John Cusano


Tina Turner’s real name: Anna Mae Bullock


King Diamond’s real name: Kim Bendix Petersen


Joey Tempest's real name: Rolf Magnus Joakim Larsson


Michael Monroe’s real name: Matti Antero Kristian Fagerholm


Mikkey Dee’s real name: Micael Kiriakos Delaoglou


Jonathan Cain’s real name: Jonathan Leonard Friga


Nikki Sixx's real name: Frank Ferrano


Steven Adler’s real name: Michael Coletti


Axl Rose's real name: William Bruce Rose


Bon Scott's real name: Ronald Belford Scott


Fish’s real name: Derek William Dick


Eddie Vedder's real name: Edward Louis Severson III


Peter Criss’ real name: George Peter John Criscuola


Freddie Mercury's real name: Farrokh Bulsara


Flea's real name: Michael Peter Balzary


Perry Farrell's real name: Perry Bernstein


Geddy Lee’s real name: Gary Lee Weinrib


Mick Mars' real name: Robert Deal


Tré Cool's real name: Frank Edwin Wright III


Courtney Love's real name: Courtney Michelle Harrison


Pat Smear's real name: Georg Albert Ruthenberg


Gene Simmons' real name: Chaim Klein Witz


Spike’s real name: Jonathan Gray


Iggy Pop's real name: James Newell Osterberg, JR.


Alice Cooper's real name: Vincent Damon Furnier


Slash's real name: Saul Hudson


Mike Dirnt's real name: Michael Ryan Pritchard


Ronnie James Dio's real name: Ronald James Padavona


Brody Dalle's real name: Bree Joanna Alice Robinson


Skin's real name: Deborah Anne Dyer


Nicky Wire's real name: Nicholas Jones


Amy Lee's real name: Amy Lynn Hartzler


Bill Wyman's real name: William Perks


Izzy Stradlin's real name: Jeffrey Isbell


Paul Stanley's real name: Stanley Eisen


Vince Neil's real name: Vincent Neil Wharton


Duff McKagan's real name: Michael McKagan


Jack Black’s real name: Thomas Jacob Black


Lemmy's real name: Ian Fraser Kilmister


John Paul Jones' real name: John Baldwin


Joan Jett's real name: Joan Larkin


Eric Clapton's real name: Eric Patrick Clapp


Siouxsie Sioux's real name: Susan Janet Ballion


Rachel Bolan’s real name: James Richard Southworth


David Bowie's real name: David Robert Hayward Stenton Jones


Little Richard's real name: Richard Wayne Penniman


Sid Vicious' real name: John Simon Ritchie


Ace Frehley's real name: Paul Daniel Frehley


Lou Reed's real name: Louis Firbank


Joe Strummer's real name: John Graham Mellor


Marc Bolan's real name: Mark Feld


The Edge's real name: David Howell Evans


Meat Loaf's real name: Marvin Lee Aday


Steven Tyler's real name: Steven Victor Tallarico


Ozzy Osbourne's real name: John Michael Osbourne


Jon Bon Jovi's real name: John Francis Bongiovi


Joey Belladonna’s real name: Joseph Bellardini


Jack White's real name: John Anthony Gillis


Bono's real name: Paul David Hewson


Sting's real name: Gordon Sumner


Billy Idol’s real name: William Michael Albert Broad


Geezer Butler’s real name: Terence Butler


Pat Benatar’s real name: Patricia Mae Giraldo


Bo Diddley’s real name: Ellas McDaniel


Muddy Waters’ real name: McKinley Morganfield


Stevie Nicks’ real name: Stephanie Lynn Nicks


Doro’s real name: Dorothee Pesch


Sebastian Bach’s real name: Sebastian Philip Bierk


Joe Perry’s real name: Joseph Pereira


Jimi Hendrix’s real name: James Marshall Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix)


Zakk Wylde’s real name: Jeffrey Phillip Wielandt


Maynard James Keenan’s real name: James Herbert Keenan


Blaze Bayley’s real name: Bayley Alexander Cooke


Biff Byford's real name: Peter Rodney Byford


M. Shadows' real name: Matthew Charles Sanders


Syd Barrett's real name: Roger Keith Barrett


Chris Jericho's real name: Christopher Keith Irvine


Ginger Wildheart's real name: David Leslie Walls


Paul Di'Anno's real name: Paul Andrews


Phil X’s real name: Theofilos Xenidis


Peter Green’s real name: Peter Allen Greenbaum


Nicko McBrain’s real name: Michael Henry McBrain


Noddy Holder’s real name: Neville John Holder


Steel Panther’s real names

Michael Starr: Ralph Michael Saenz, Satchel: Russell John Parrish, Stix Zadinia: Darren Leader, Spyder: Joe Lester.

Lexxi Foxx’s real name: Travis Haley


Jet Black’s real name: Brian John Duffy


Buddy Holly’s real name: Charles Hardin Holley


Elvis Costello’s real name: Declan Patrick McManus


Rikki Rockett’s real name: Richard Allan Ream


Blackie Lawless' real name: Steven Edward Duren


Maxim's real name: Keith Andrew Palmer


Rat Scabies' real name: Christopher John Millar


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