Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler has apologised in public to Bill Ward for saying the ex-drummer had been invited to take part in the band’s final show.
Earlier this week, Butler stated in an interview that Sabbath had offered Ward the chance to appear with them just before they took their last bow on The End tour.
The bassist reported: “It’s been mentioned to him – but he doesn’t want to do it. He wants to do the whole tour or nothing.”
That led Ward to accuse his former colleague of making “inaccurate statements,” adding: “My management reached out to the Black Sabbath management to inquire as to whether or not they would like to discuss my participation in the tour. We were told there was no interest.”
Now Butler has tweeted: “It appears Bill Ward was never invited to do a last show – my mistake. Sorry @billwarddrums.”
His message has been applauded by some fans for its honesty, while others have reacted by encouraging the band members to discuss their differences face-to-face with no one else present.
Butler was behind Sabbath’s decision to abandon a farewell album to tie in with the tour – but he said this week that he was happy with the idea of recording once it was over. The veterans headline this year’s Download festival at Donington in June as part of their final road trip.
