Bill Ward Uses a Wheelchair — and Wants One Thing Clear: Not Retired, Not Ill

On 8 July, Bill Ward addressed his fans in an open message — and pre-empted the thing that clearly troubles him more than the matter itself: the conclusions people draw when they see someone in a wheelchair.

The Black Sabbath co-founder, who turned 78 in May, wrote that he increasingly needs a wheelchair — mainly at airports and public events. He can still walk, he stressed emphatically; just not very far without needing to sit down. He has been using the chair for around eighteen months.

What matters to him is the framing: he is neither retired nor ill, and giving up is out of the question. He used to be a long-distance walker, he wrote, and has walked in many parts of the world — and he is still a drummer. His drive to make art and to play is as strong as ever. Anyone who sees him at an airport or in a venue should simply say hi: he does not bite, he just looks different now. His conclusion was characteristically dry — he will keep rocking until he is dead. And: the secrets we keep can be dangerous to our health, which is why he chose transparency.

Ward last stood on stage with Black Sabbath on 5 July 2025, at the farewell concert "Back To The Beginning" at Villa Park in Birmingham — the original line-up's first performance together since 2005. Ozzy Osbourne died a few weeks later. Away from that, Ward has been busy with solo work; his most recent album under his own name, "Mon Dieu", appeared in 2022.

Sources: Blabbermouth, Louder.