After the death of Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler remembered his joint experiences with the singer last week. On Monday, the bass player and copywriter of Black Sabbath published an obituary in the “London Times”, in which he describes her connection as an “invisible band” and reflects on her last joint appearance on July 5.
“For me, Ozzy was not the Prince of Darkness – if at all, he was the Prince of Laughter,” wrote Butler. “He would have done everything for a laugh, a born entertainer.”
Last encounter – difficult farewell
In his emotional text, the musician looked back at the first meeting with Osbourne at the end of the sixties and also remembered the days before the final appearance on July 5 – just two weeks before Ozzy’s death. “Back then I didn’t know that I would never see Ozzy again after that night,” he wrote.
Butler described that he was rehearsing with Tony Iommi and Bill for a few days before Osbourne joined it – and it quickly became clear that sitting even exhausted him after six or seven songs.
“I knew that he was not doing well in terms of health, but I was not prepared to see how frail he was,” wrote Butler. “He was brought into the rehearsal room by two helpers and a nurse and used a walking stick – all of Ozzy: the stick was black, occupied with gold and gemstones. He said hardly more than the usual greets, and if he sang, he did it.”
From clubmen to rock legend
“He was really quiet compared to the old ozzy.”
Butler remembered how he met Osbourne in Birmingham for the first time when she crossed the street after long club nights. “We were complete opposites,” said Butler. “Back then I never thought that we would start Black Sabbath a year later and created a completely new form of rock music.”
Her first real meeting was in 1968 when Butler’s band was looking for a singer at the time – and Osbourne a job. Butler went to his house, which was only three or four streets away, but Osbourne was not at home. Later Ozzy came to Butler. “My brother opened and said to me: ‘There is something about the door that asks for you’,” wrote Butler. “I said, ‘What do you mean by” something “?’ He said, ‘You will see.’ “
“A heart of gold” – despite his scandals
“It was the mod with a short hairstyle that I always saw home from the Allnighters – but this time he was not wearing a suit, but his father’s brown work coat, had a chimney sweep over his shoulder, a shoe on the dog line and was barefoot,” recalled Butler. “He said, ‘I’m Ozzy.’ When I laughed, I said: ‘Okay, you’re in the band.’ “
Osbourne and Butler initially founded Earth, from which Black Sabbath later became – together with Tony Iommi and Bill Ward. The first concert, according to Butler, ended in a “massive fight” – and made the band inseparable.
“People always thought that Ozzy was a wild crazy – but he had a heart of pure gold.”
“Most of his notorious escapades-the bat history, the biting off of a pigeon head, the pee on the Alamo, ants-passed in his solo years, outside of the more disciplined Sabbath environment,” wrote Butler. “But if you needed him as a friend, Ozzy was always there.”
A friendship until the end
“When my son was born with a heart defect, Ozzy called me every day to ask how I can get along – although we had no contact for a year.”
Before the last concert in July, Osbourne and Butler met Adidas for the promo of an Aston Villa jerseys-the first time since 2017. Even if they hadn’t spoken during this time, their “connection was indestructible”, said Butler. He wrote that he regretted the end of the concert because Osbourne was “on his throne” and could not get up to bow.
“Tony shook his hand, I presented him with a cake – but it was a strange feeling to end our story like this,” wrote Butler. “I wish I had more time behind the stage with Ozzy – but desires are now pointless. As Ozzy used to say: ‘Wish with one hand – and shit in the other, and look, which fills up first.’
“It was a damn good ride”
Butler ended his text with gratitude – for Osbourne and for the last joint appearance.
“I am so privileged to have spent most of my life with him. Of course I think of millions of things that I should still have written, but how do you summarize 57 incredible years of friendship in a few paragraphs?” He wrote. “God bless, oz – it was a damn good ride! I love you!”