Black Sabbath’s original drummer Bill Ward recently talked about his ex-bandmates and stated that he still loves Sabbath members.
Bill Ward found Black Sabbath in 1968, and his alcohol abuse hazed his experience with the band. In 1980, Ward suddenly disappeared and only called Ronnie James Dio, another band member, to tell him that he was off. His sudden and unexpected departure left the band hanging. However, the drummer returned in 1983.
After sitting out one Black Sabbath album, Ward returned in 1983 and released the record ‘Born Again.’ By this time, Black Sabbath had started gaining success. ‘Born Again’ featured Deep Purple’s Ian Gillan and was the last album to feature Ward since he left the band in 1984 again.
The drummer tried to reunite with the band in 2011, but before the work started, Ward left once again. Despite his on and off times with the band, he contributed to releasing 13 albums and had a prosperous career. Ward’s recent words in his interview show that he had fun, and despite the disagreements regarding the 2011 reunion, he still loves his bandmates.
Moreover, Ward revealed that he’s grateful for what they have achieved during their time together. If you ask him, all the band members could talk to each other regarding their music, which is a great feeling.
Here is what Ward told Louder Sound:
“I love the you-know-what out of those guys. I’ve come through the angry bits that happened in 2012 and arrived at a place of being at peace with myself and with them. I’m glad we did what we did and often go down memory lane with the early work we did in Copenhagen and the Reeperbahn in Hamburg. I love those guys and all the imperfections that go with that. It’s a great feeling, having come as far as we have, and I’m happy just being able to write or talk to them if I want to.”
Ward’s time with the band seemed fun but stressful for him. As he struggled with alcohol addiction and often passed out, his bandmates played pranks on him, including dangerous ones involving fire. The drummer reunited with the band a couple of times for a short period, including 1985’s Live Aid.
