Geezer Butler has responded after Ozzy Osbourne labelled him as a “fucking arsehole” for not reaching out following his struggles with Parkinson’s disease.
READ MORE: Ozzy Osbourne: a rock’n’roll showman like no other
The dispute between the two arose following comments the Black Sabbath frontman made in an interview with Rolling Stone, in which he reflected upon his recent medical worries and the support he has received from those around him.
In the interview, Osbourne recalled how his bandmate Tony Iommi had supported him constantly throughout the health issues, although the same could not be said about fellow Black Sabbath member Geezer Butler.
“You do find out who’s a genuine friend when you’ve been through what I’ve had,” Ozzy began told the outlet. “Tony Iommi has been so supportive of me since my illness. Geezer Butler hasn’t given me one fucking phone call. Not one fucking call.”
He continued, comparing the situation to a previous conflict the two had. “When his son was fucking born, I phoned him every fucking night even though we were at war with each other, Black Sabbath and me [after his sacking]. I thought, ‘Fuck it, he’s my mate, I’m gonna call him.’
Geezer Butler and Ozzy Osbourne. CREDIT: Mike Windle/WireImage/Getty
“But from him, not one fucking call. It’s sad, man,” he added. “We all grew up together, and he can’t pick up the fucking phone like a man and see how I’m doing. Even [Black Sabbath drummer] Bill Ward has been in touch with me.
“I said some things about Bill, and I don’t know why I said it, but when I came through my illness, he contacted me. I’m not in shock, I’m just very fucking sad that he can’t just call me after all this time and say, ‘How you doing?’ Fucking arsehole.”
However, Butler has now responded to the claims made by the singer in a post on social media and said that he did reach out to him multiple times upon hearing about his health struggles.
“Rumour has it; Ozzy is upset, saying he never received my get well messages. I made 2 different attempts at getting in touch during his illnesses,” he began.
“My first email (8 Feb, 2019) went through his office because I didn’t have Ozzy’s new number to text him. Sharon responded but I didn’t hear back from Ozzy. 11 months later (21 Jan, 2020), I emailed Sharon to check on Oz. That email went unanswered. I don’t want to engage in a tit for tat. Having made 2 attempts to wish Ozzy well, without a reply, I figured it best to privately keep him in my thoughts.”
Osbourne has yet to respond to the post made by the Black Sabbath bassist.
In other Ozzy Osbourne news, the iconic metal singer recently revealed that he may never perform live again after a long string of medical procedures and surgeries.
In September, the former Black Sabbath frontman underwent what he said would be his “final surgery” after he had suffered a fall in 2019, which dislodged metal rods that were put into his body after a quad bike crash in 2003.
“I’m not going to get up there and do a half-hearted Ozzy looking for sympathy. What’s the fucking point in that? I’m not going up there in a fucking wheelchair,” he said. “I’ve seen Phil Collins perform recently, and he’s got virtually the same problems as me. He gets up there in a wheelchair! But I couldn’t do that.”
The post Black Sabbath’s Geezer Butler responds to Ozzy Osbourne’s claims he’s a “fucking arsehole” for not reaching out after illness appeared first on NME.
