Following statements by Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler, Black Sabbath founding drummer Bill Ward has weighed in with his first posting since the death of Ozzy Osbourne. Through the X social media platform,

Black Sabbath members Tony Iommi, Terence “Geezer” Butler and Bill Ward each shared tributes to frontman Ozzy Osbourne following his death on July 22, 2025 remembering their early days together and expressing gratitude for their final gig together.

In the late 1960s, Osbourne and Butler first collaborated in the band Rare Breed, and they later joined Iommi and Ward, who had previously played together in Mythology, to form Polka Tulk Blues. They eventually renamed the band Earth, and changed it once more to Black Sabbath.