Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham. The original band line up of Ozzy Osbourne (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitar), Terence "Geezer" Butler (bass), and Bill Ward (drums) is the same as the current line up (2008) although there have been many shifts of personnel over the years.


Black Sabbath remain a dominant influence in the heavy metal genre they helped create. VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock ranks them second, behind Led Zeppelin.

Currently, the early 1980s line-up of the band featuring Iommi, Butler, Ronnie James Dio and Vinny Appice are touring under the moniker Heaven and Hell, a title taken from the 1980 Black Sabbath album of the same name.
The original and best known line-up are frequently credited as the inventors of the heavy metal genre. Black Sabbath have sold over 100 million albums worldwide

John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born December 3, 1948) is the lead vocalist of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, a popular solo artist and the star of the reality show, The Osbournes. In addition to lead vocals with Black Sabbath, Osbourne also plays the harmonica and synthesizer.




Frank Anthony "Tony" Iommi (born February 19, 1948, in Aston, Birmingham, England) is a guitarist best known for his tenure in the heavy metal band Black Sabbath. He is the only person to have remained in Black Sabbath throughout the band's entire lifespan. Iommi, bandmate Geezer Butler, and former Black Sabbath members Ronnie James Dio and Vinny Appice have recently finished a 2007 show World Tour under the name Heaven and Hell.

Terence Michael Joseph "Geezer" Butler (born 17 July 1949 in Aston, Birmingham, England) is the founding bassist for heavy metal band Black Sabbath. His nickname supposedly arises from his habit as a teenager of referring to everyone as "Geezer". He is currently involved in Heaven and Hell.





Bill Ward (born William Thomas Ward, May 5, 1948, Aston, Birmingham, England), is the drummer for the pioneering British heavy metal band Black Sabbath.

In addition to playing drums as an original founding member of the band, Ward sang lead vocals for two Black Sabbath songs; "It's Alright" (from Technical Ecstasy), and "Swinging The Chain" (from Never Say Die!).
Ward's distinctive drumming often closely doubles the rhythms of the bass and guitar riffs, producing a powerful combined effect. An example of this is the song "Iron Man" off the Paranoid album. He is also characterized by playing quick drum rolls in between riffs and his powerful groove. ("Symptom of the Universe" is a good example of his unique style.)