In a shocking turn of events, Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler has once again opened his mouth and words came out. I know, I’m surprised too. During an appearance on the “100 Songs That Define Heavy Metal” podcast, hosted by Metal Blade Records CEO Brian Slagel, Butler spoke about his experiences with the band, because we all needed to hear more about that. He talked about how relieved he was when Ronnie James Dio joined the band in 1979 and took over lyric-writing duties, because, let’s be real, Ozzy Osbourne was getting a bit too big for his britches.
Butler said, “I was just so relieved because the final album with Ozzy in the ’70s, the ‘Never Say Die!’ album, it was like pulling teeth trying to get Ozzy to sing the lyrics. And I used to write lyrics for him, and he wouldn’t even read them. He just totally dismissed them before he’d even read them.” Wow, what a shock, Ozzy being difficult to work with. Who wouldn’t want to work with a guy who bites the heads off bats and snorts ants? 🐜
The Dio Era: A Breath of Fresh Air?
Butler also talked about how great it was working with Dio, because, you know, Dio was a saint and Ozzy was a, well, not a saint. He said, “It was great because even down to the… Ozzy couldn’t play any instruments, but Ronnie, to be able to express some of the choruses and things, he’d come up with a guitar and play it to Tony Iommi, sort of, ‘This is how I see the chorus.’ And he’d play the chords, so we all knew what to do.” I mean, who needs a singer who can’t play instruments when you can have one who can actually write music? 🎸
Butler also discussed the success of the “Heaven And Hell” album, which, surprise surprise, did really well on U.S. radio despite being nearly seven minutes long. He said, “The whole thing surprised us, ’cause we believed in it, but getting everybody else to believe in it is another thing. You can think you’ve written the greatest song on earth, and then nobody else will think that way.” Yeah, because that’s never happened to any band ever. 🙄
Ozzy: The Prince of Darkness (and also a bit of a handful)
Butler also reflected on his time with Ozzy, because we all need to be reminded of what a wild ride that was. He wrote an article for The Sunday Times last year, in which he talked about rehearsing with Ozzy for the “Back To The Beginning” concert. He said, “I knew he wasn’t in good health, but I wasn’t prepared to see how frail he was. He was helped into the rehearsal room by two helpers and a nurse and was using a cane — being Ozzy, the cane was black and studded with gold and precious stones.” Because, of course, it was. 💎
Butler also looked back on Ozzy’s performance at Villa Park, saying, “Nobody knew he’d be gone from us little more than two weeks after the final show. But I am so grateful we got to play one last time together in front of his beloved fans.” Aw, isn’t that sweet? 🎸
Ozzy, of course, passed away on July 22, 2025, because, you know, he was 76 and had been partying like a rockstar for decades. 🎉 Butler paid tribute to him on social media, saying, “Goodbye dear friend- thanks for all those years- we had some great fun, 4 kids from Aston- who’d have thought, eh?” Yeah, who would have thought that four kids from Aston would become one of the most iconic heavy metal bands of all time? 🤔
And that’s the story of Geezer Butler talking about Black Sabbath, because you clearly didn’t have enough of that in your life. Stay tuned for more exciting updates on Butler’s talking, and maybe, just maybe, some new music from the remaining members of Black Sabbath. 🤷♂️ Just kidding, that’s never happening. 😂
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