BLACK SABBATH bassist Geezer Butler discusses the legendary band’s split with Ozzy Osbourne and bringing on Ronnie James Dio
In a recent interview with Planet Rock‘s “My Planet Rocks,” Geezer Butler discussed the pivotal moment when BLACK SABBATH made the difficult decision to part ways with Ozzy in 1979 due to his ongoing struggles with substance abuse and replaced him with the legendary Ronnie James Dio.
When asked if the band’s new lineup felt like a “rebirth” for BLACK SABBATH, Butler replied (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Yeah, ’cause we all knew that the end had come for the original lineup of the band. Ozzy really wasn’t into it anymore; I don’t think any of us were, really. And we tried to write another album together and it just wasn’t happening.
“Ozzy was in a bad physical and mental shape, and he needed to just go away and get himself together. And he’d already left once the year before. Tony [Iommi, SABBATH guitarist] had met Ronnie, and he came in one day and he says, ‘Well, I’m gonna work with Ronnie, this great singer that I just met the other night. He’s really enthusiastic about what he wants to do. He’s got some great ideas.’ And I just thought it was gonna be Tony and Ronnie getting together and doing an album on their own.
“And then the whole Ozzy thing happened — Ozzy left; well, he was pushed out, for his own good, to go and get help. And Tony said, ‘What about listening to this guy that I met, Ronnie?’ So Ronnie came over. And we’d been working on ‘Children Of The Sea‘ at the time, but [there were] no vocals on it. And Ronnie came in and just put these vocals to ‘Children Of The Sea‘. We [just went], ‘Wow. This is brilliant.’ He got exactly what we were trying to do.”
When it was suggested that the positive response to Dio‘s addition to SABBATH must have been “gratifying”, Butler said: “Exactly. We were told that there was no way you can go out and not have Ozzy as your singer. So we weren’t expecting that much. And then the album came out and it did incredibly well — [it sold] millions. And the gigs sold out straight away. It was like being revived again — it was like from the ashes, the phoenix rises. It was incredible.”
You can listen to the full interview at this location.
With Dio as the lead vocalist, SABBATH experienced a remarkable resurgence, delivering two consecutive classic metal albums, namely “Heaven And Hell” and “Mob Rules.” Simultaneously, Ozzy Osbourne pursued a successful solo career, generating a series of hits and establishing himself as a formidable artist in his own right.
Upon its release in April 1980, “Heaven And Hell” received enthusiastic acclaim for showcasing SABBATH‘s return to top form. The album featured metal masterpieces like “Neon Knights” and the title track, captivating both fans and critics alike. In the charts, the album reached No. 9 in the U.K. and No. 28 in the U.S., earning a platinum certification in the latter country. The powerful combination of Ronnie James Dio‘s soaring vocals and the band’s signature heavy sound proved to be a winning formula, securing BLACK SABBATH‘s position as a force to be reckoned with in the metal music scene.
Geezer Butler is currently promoting his autobiography, “Into The Void: From Birth To Black Sabbath – And Beyond”, which was released on June 6 in North America via HarperCollins imprint Dey Street Books and on June 8 in the United Kingdom.