BREAKING: Black Sabbath DRUMMER Bill Ward S…read more.
Blowing the heartbreaking news of Ozzy Osbourne’s passing, Black Sabbath’s founding drummer Bill Ward has shared a deeply emotional memory: his final conversation with Ozzy just days before the legendary frontman died. It was a conversation filled with honesty, closure, and brotherhood a moment that Bill says he’ll never forget.
“Ozzy said to me, ‘We’ll always be brothers, Bill. That won’t ever change.’ That was the last thing he said. He wanted me to know, no matter where life took us, we were still family,” Ward said in a soft-spoken interview with Kerrang!.
Ozzy, known across the world as the wild and iconic frontman of Black Sabbath and one of heavy metal’s most influential voices, passed away earlier this week at 76. Though the world remembers him as a legend, those closest to him, like Bill Ward, saw the man behind the stage persona vulnerable, loving, and fiercely loyal to his bandmates.
Ward and Osbourne had a friendship that spanned more than five decades. Through the highs of global stardom and the lows of addiction, conflict, and time apart, their connection was never truly broken.
“We started this journey as kids from Birmingham who just loved playing music,” Ward reflected. “We went through absolute madness together. And even when we weren’t in the same room or hadn’t spoken in years, there was always something holding us together.”
Their last shared moment came during Black Sabbath’s farewell show, which now feels like a fitting send-off for Ozzy’s career. All four original members Ward, Ozzy, Tony Iommi, and Geezer Butler reunited for one final, unforgettable night.
“That last show… it felt different. You could sense something deeper in the air,” Ward said. “Ozzy was clearly pushing through pain, but he still gave everything. He said, ‘If I’m going out, I’m going out on stage.’ And he meant it.”
Backstage after the performance, Ward remembers Ozzy pulling him into a tight hug and whispering words that struck deep.
“He said, ‘No hard feelings, Bill. I love you, always have.’ That was Ozzy. Beneath all the madness, he had such a big heart. He needed to make peace, and I think he did.”
Ward had spent years away from the band due to personal and health reasons, but Ozzy had reached out to him ahead of the final show. The two reconnected not just as musicians, but as old friends putting the past behind them.
“Ozzy told me it didn’t matter what had happened before,” Ward shared. “He said, ‘We’re older now. Let’s finish this together.’ And I’m so glad we did.”
As fans across the world continue to honor Ozzy’s memory, tributes from the music community have poured in. Everyone from Metallica to Slipknot, Judas Priest to Ghost, has spoken out to celebrate his massive impact not just as a performer, but as a person.
Meanwhile, in Birmingham, the city where Sabbath was born, a makeshift shrine has sprung up outside the arena where the final concert was held. Fans are leaving flowers, candles, handwritten messages, vintage records, and even drawings of Ozzy’s signature bat.
One letter simply read: “Thank you for being the voice of our generation.”
Ward hasn’t yet visited the site, saying the loss still feels surreal.
“I still hear his laugh, his voice sometimes it’s like he’s still here,” he said quietly. “He was more than a bandmate to me. We had a bond that you don’t get to experience many times in life.”
Ozzy’s private funeral will be followed by a public memorial in Birmingham a celebration of the life of a man who shaped music history and brought joy, chaos, and truth to millions around the globe.
“I miss him so much,” Ward said, holding back tears. “But I’m at peace knowing we said what we needed to say. His last words ‘We’ll always be brothers’ that’s what I’ll carry in my heart forever.”
With a deep breath, Ward added one final thought, his voice steady but soft: “Rest easy, Ozzy. You gave us everything you had. And we’ll never stop loving you.”
