Black Sabbath Facebook Battle Rages On

 

It would seem over the past day or two things between Black Sabbath vocalist Ozzy Osbourne and original drummer Bill Ward have heated up to quite a boil. On Wednesday Ward released a statement on his website and Facebook page saying he would only rejoin Sabbath if he received a genuine public apology from Osbourne and if he was presented with a "signable" contract. Ward's original statement can be found here. Osbourne did in fact respond. However, it wasn't exactly in the way Ward and Black Sabbath fans were hoping for. Osbourne released the following statement directed toward Ward this past Thursday via his own Facebook page which can be read here.

The basic gist is that Osbourne was calling Ward out on his statement and said that the former drummer was too physically incapable of doing an album and a rigorous 16 month tour. Ward had been hospitalized many times over the past few years since the band had announced their reunion back in late 2011. Such inconveniences would have heavily inhibited Black Sabbath's ability to carry on with the tour.

However, this past Friday Ward made his own rebuttal to Osbourne's statement; once again via Facebook. The statement can be read here. Ward insists that he was physically ready to do the tour at the time the ball got rolling. He had been under a vigorous exercise routine for some time and had lost a great deal of weight. Ward also goes into great detail about how the procedures that had him out for so long were elective and could have been postponed until after the tour. From there Ward talks about how he was dealt an unfair hand in the business aspects of Black Sabbath in more recent years and how Osbourne has said a great deal of hurtful things.

Personally I find it astounding how two men in their 70's could resort to arguing publicly over Facebook. I mean, come on. Facebook drama is for kids. I feel like saying to Osbourne and Ward, "Come on, guys. You're 70, not 17. Act like it. Resolve your differences like proper grown up gentlemen.". I am sorry that their relationship has worn down so much, but there are better ways of handling such problems.