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Ozzy Osbourne: I’m Not Retiring
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Artist News, Awards, Concerts / Tours, Rock, New Releases,
Ozzy Osbourne insists he has no plans to retire.
The Black Sabbath musician, who has now been sober for nearly a year after relapsing into drink and drugs, says he still gets a thrill out of being on stage after the band reformed in 2011. The 65-year-old told NME magazine that he's living "on borrowed time" and started getting asked about quitting music when he turned 60. "The word 'retirement' started coming into the interviews, but as long as I have an audience, as long as I can physically do it and enjoy doing it and they want to see me, what's the point in quitting?" he said.
Black Sabbath have been nominated for three Grammy Awards after their album 13, their first in 18 years, topped the charts in 30 countries, giving them their first ever US number one. Ozzy says it's his "dream" to get the band's original drummer Bill Ward on board for another Sabbath album but hasn't spoken to him because "It wouldn't be fair. 'Hi, how are you, Ozzy?' 'I'm alright Bill, I'm just about to go onstage to 75,000 people in Sao Paolo. Wish you were here!' When it's all over, I'll probably give him a call. I love and respect the guy very much, but we just couldn't hang around any more. [His absence] is obviously something to do with dollars, but my wife [Sharon] does the deals, do I don't know."
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Black Sabbath Drummer Quits Reunion Shows
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Concerts / Tours, Reunions, Rock,
Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward will not take part in the bands reunion shows.
The original line up of the group - Bill, Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler - came together last year to play a series of shows and record their first album together in 33 years, but Bill has backed out of the project, saying he won't agree to the contract he was offered.
"I sincerely regret to inform you that after a final effort to participate in the upcoming Sabbath shows a failure to agree has continued. It is with a very sad heart that I bring you this news. I have to stand for something, and as painful as it is, I'm doing it," he wrote on his website.
Shortly after the band announced their reunion in November, and started work on the new album, Tony was diagnosed with lymphoma. As a result of his treatment the band's planned tour had to be cut to just three dates, starting in their hometown, Birmingham, England, on Saturday. The band will also close Britain's Download Festival on June 10 and perform at the Lollapalooza festival in the US on August 3.
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Black Sabbath Announce Homecoming Gig
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Performances, Reunions, Upcoming Releases, Rock,
Black Sabbath will play a one-off UK homecoming gig in Birmingham next month. The "Paranoid" rockers will perform at the O2 Academy in the city - home to singer Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward - on May 19 in preparation for their headline performance at this year's Download Festival in Leicestershire over the weekend of June 8-10.
The performance is expected to be the group's first since they reformed with their original line-up last year, and they are likely to play new material from their forthcoming ninth studio album - which will be their first since 1978's Never Say Die - at the concert.
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