Black Sabbath drummer denies badmouthing Dio-led band
Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward wants everyone to know that he's got nothing bad to say about singer Ronnie James Dio or the band Heaven And Hell. Ward decided a few weeks ago not to join Dio and Sabbath members Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler in the group, but a statement attributed to Ward began showing up online recently, in which he slagged Dio and the name Heaven And Hell. Ward has now responded to the rumors by saying, "It has been brought to our attention that there is a posting on a few web sites which discloses a supposed statement I made... THIS IS COMPLETELY FALSE. Every piece of verbiage therein that posting -- supposedly quoting me -- is FALSE also."
Ward is supposed to have said, "Twelve years ago, Ronnie Dio said he'd never work with me and Geezer again, even last year he repeated this statement, so what's suddenly changed? Probably that he never thought he'd ever be asked to play with us again, so he could say he didn't want to. But hey, the first time he's asked he jumps at the chance -- why's that? Probably because his own band only plays to 600 people and Sabbath to 5000, so it suits him at this stage of his career."
Ward is also accused of slamming the group's choice of a name. His "statement" includes the lines, "It is a farce, it's either Black Sabbath or nothing, so are we saying that the band that released Heaven And Hell was not Black Sabbath? Ronnie Dio is demeaning his self because not calling it Black Sabbath is like saying that the post-Ozzy band was not really Black Sabbath at all, but some sort of spin-off band."
Dio, Iommi, Butler, and drummer Vinny Appice have recorded three new songs, and two of them will be included on a Dio-era Sabbath collection that should be out next year. The band will also tour Europe and North America.
Ozzy Osbourne wished the new lineup well and said that the original Black Sabbath would release a new album and mount a tour late next year.
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Ward is supposed to have said, "Twelve years ago, Ronnie Dio said he'd never work with me and Geezer again, even last year he repeated this statement, so what's suddenly changed? Probably that he never thought he'd ever be asked to play with us again, so he could say he didn't want to. But hey, the first time he's asked he jumps at the chance -- why's that? Probably because his own band only plays to 600 people and Sabbath to 5000, so it suits him at this stage of his career."
Ward is also accused of slamming the group's choice of a name. His "statement" includes the lines, "It is a farce, it's either Black Sabbath or nothing, so are we saying that the band that released Heaven And Hell was not Black Sabbath? Ronnie Dio is demeaning his self because not calling it Black Sabbath is like saying that the post-Ozzy band was not really Black Sabbath at all, but some sort of spin-off band."
Dio, Iommi, Butler, and drummer Vinny Appice have recorded three new songs, and two of them will be included on a Dio-era Sabbath collection that should be out next year. The band will also tour Europe and North America.
Ozzy Osbourne wished the new lineup well and said that the original Black Sabbath would release a new album and mount a tour late next year.
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