Tony Iommi Explains Why Geezer Butler Wasn’t at Commonwealth Games Performance, Was Surprised Ozzy Could Attend
In case you missed it last week, former Black Sabbath singer Ozzy Osbourne reunited with Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi for renditions of “Paranoid” and “Iron Man” at the Commonwealth Games. It was a pretty fucking awesome moment, with final Sabbath drummer Tommy Clufetos and live Sabbath bassist Adam Wakeman rounding out the lineup.
In a recent interview with Birmingham Live, Iommi said that Geezer Butler sustained an injury a few weeks earlier and that he didn’t think the bassist would have wanted to be there.
“I don’t think he wanted to come over as he hadn’t been well with Covid. He’d been on holiday to Kenya and to Italy and had had an accident on a boat, cracking or breaking a rib about three weeks ago, so he was not quite in fine fettle to come over to play. It’s a shame because we’d talked for a long time about the possibility of playing at the Commonwealth Games.”
In the same interview, Iommi says that he was surprised Ozzy could perform at the Commonwealth Games because he had a major surgery in June.
“I never thought that Ozzy would be able to come and perform at the Commonwealth Games because of his operation. And then when he said he was coming over we were asked to keep it all a secret so that nobody would know.”
The Prince of Darkness will release Patient Number 9, his 13th solo album, in September. It features guest appearances from Iommi, former Ozzy and current Pantera guitarist Zakk Wylde, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton and one Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready.
You can listen to the first and second singles from Patient Number 9 and see Ozzy on tour in May.
May 2023
Wed 3 | Finland, Helsinki | Hartwall Arena [tickets]
Fri 5 | Sweden, Stockholm | Friends Arena [tickets]
Sun 7 | Germany, Dortmund | Westfalenhalle [tickets]
Wed 10 | Spain, Madrid | WiZink Center [tickets]
Fri 12 | Italy, Bologna | Unipol Arena [tickets]
Sun 14 | Germany, Munich | Olympiahalle [tickets]
Wed 17 | Hungary, Budapest | Budapest Arena [tickets]
Fri 19 | Czech Republic | Prague | O2 Arena [tickets]
Sun 21 | Switzerland, Zurich | Hallenstadion [tickets]
Wed 24 | Germany, Hamburg | Barclaycard Arena [tickets]
Fri 26 | Germany, Mannheim | SAP Arena [tickets]
Sun 28 | Germany, Berlin | Mercedes-Benz Arena [tickets]
Wed 31 | UK, Nottingham | Motorpoint Arena [tickets]
June 2023
Fri 2 | UK, Newcastle | Utilita Arena [tickets]
Sun 4 | UK, Glasgow | Ovo Hydro [tickets]
Wed 7 | UK, Manchester | AO Arena [tickets]
Sat 10 | Ireland, Dublin | 3 Arena [tickets]
Mon 12 | UK, London | O2 Arena [tickets]
Wed 14 | UK, Birmingham | Resorts World Arena [tickets]
