Black Sabbath bandmates unaware of Ozzy Osbourne’s drugs relapse

Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler were “shocked” to learn that Ozzy Osbourne had entered rehab last spring. The Black Sabbath members have said they had no idea Osbourne was back on drugs and alcohol, even during the time they were working with him in studio. “I’ve known [Ozzy] for 50 years, so I should know him, but God, I never sussed that at all,” Iommi said in an interview with Classic Rock magazine. “He was turning up to my house on time and we were rehearsing and writing, and I never saw anything … I didn’t see any signs of it … None of us did. He really hid that well.”

In retrospect, Butler said, there was one indication that Osbourne had fallen off the wagon: he wouldn’t stop talking. “I thought he was talking a lot – he used to drive us nuts because he wouldn’t stop talking – but we put that down to the excitement of doing the [new] album.”

Black Sabbath’s singer had already entered rehab by the time Iommi and Butler received the news from Sharon Osbourne. “I just couldn’t believe [it],” Iommi said. Ozzy eventually announced that he had been drinking and taking drugs for about a year and a half. “I was in a very dark place and was an arsehole to the people I love most, my family,” he wrote in a statement. Sharon initially wanted a divorce, but the couple were eventually reconciled.

Although Ozzy is now reportedly sober, Black Sabbath don’t have any plans to record a follow-up to their recent comeback LP. “If we did another album, it just wouldn’t have the same vibe, as far as I’m concerned,” Butler said. “To me, it’s been nicely rounded off now.”

Black Sabbath’s 13, released in June, debuted at number one.

Source: The Guardian