Black Sabbath’s bassist and songwriter, Geezer Butler, has paid tribute to his late bandmate, Ozzy Osbourne, in a heartfelt essay, reflecting on their “57 incredible years of friendship”
Black Sabbath’s bassist, Terence “Geezer” Butler, penned a touching tribute to frontman Ozzy Osbourne in The Sunday Times, reflecting on their “57 incredible years of friendship”.
The rock legend passed away on 22 July at the age of just 76, just a fortnight after Black Sabbath’s final gig.
The English metal legend wrote: “I didn’t realise then that I would never see Ozzy again after that night.” Geezer and Ozzy, alongside Tony Iommi and Bill Ward, formed the legendary band in 1968, initially named The Polka Tulk Blues Band, then Earth, before finally settling on Black Sabbath in August 1969.
He recalled how Ozzy turned up barefoot at his house, prompting him to ask him to join the band.
Geezer, 76, wrote: “To me, Ozzy wasn’t the Prince of Darkness – if anything, he was the Prince of Laughter. He’d do anything for a laugh, a born entertainer.”
The Black Sabbath bassist and songwriter looked back on the events leading up to their final performance on 5 July, which began a month earlier during rehearsals.
He admitted: “I knew he wasn’t in good health, but I wasn’t prepared to see how frail he was.
“He was assisted 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.
“He didn’t really say much beyond the usual greetings, and when he sang, he sat in a chair.”
He described them running through songs but noticed that Ozzy was exhausted after six or seven, and said Ozzy was really quiet compared to his old self.
Gezzer added: “The strangest part of that show was the end. Normally, we would all hug each other and take a bow to the audience, but Ozzy was on his throne and we hadn’t thought that out. What do we do? Tony shook his hand, I presented him with a cake, but it was such a strange feeling to end our story like that.
“I wish I’d had more time backstage with Ozzy, but wishes are redundant now. As Ozzy used to say: ‘Wish in one hand and s*** in the other and see which comes first.'”
“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.”
Geezer said he was “privileged” to spend most of his life with Ozzy.
He ended the piece with: “God bless, Oz, it has been one hell of a ride! Love you!”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
