Black Sabbath reveal the one crucial reason behind farewell show

Posted On July 2, 2025July 2, 2025

Black Sabbath have explained why drummer Bill Ward was the crucial reason they will reunite for one final time on July 5th.

This weekend, Ward will join his old bandmates Ozzy Osbourne, Tonny Iommi, and Geezer Butler for one last concert at Back to the Beginning in Villa Park, Birmingham, which marks his first performance with the group in more than two decades.

In 2012, when Black Sabbath announced details of a reunion tour, Ward was set to be involved, but ultimately he never participated in the run of dates amid a contract dispute. He also didn’t contribute to their final album, 13.

When Osbourne first started discussing the idea of a farewell show, all of Black Sabbath agreed that it would only be worthwhile if Ward was part of the show. “The whole point of this last show was to finish with the original four of us playing together, so I wouldn’t have contemplated it without Bill,” Geezer Butler told LouderSound.

This was echoed by Tony Iommi, who said, “No. There’d be no point. We’ve already done that. And that was the thing. Because it’s the original line-up, that makes it more proper. So no, I wouldn’t have done it without the original line-up.”

Osbourne also stated of Ward’s involvement: “It’s very important. The original Sabbath will never be on stage together again. From the late sixties, we’re probably one of the only bands where the original members are still alive and speaking with one another.”

In the same interview, Osbourne, who will also perform a short solo set, expressed his gratitude to say farewell on his own terms, sharing, “I am very blessed to say my goodbyes with the help of so many amazing musicians and friends.”

Iommi also ruled out performing again in the future with the band, adding, “I’ll never say never, because I’ve said never too many times before, and look what happened. But I seriously think this is the actual end, unless someone digs us up or finds our DNA in the future and recreates us.”

Black Sabbath are expected to perform a short set full of their biggest hits at Villa Park, along with Osbourne’s solo set, and there’ll also be appearances from some of the grandest names in rock, such as Metallica.

Related Topics