More Info on Bill WardSimilar Undetermined MusicSearch Artistopia
Biography
Infobox musical artist|image = Bill Ward.jpg ||image_size = 150 ||name = Bill Ward||background = solo_singer|caption = Bill Ward in concert with Black Sabbath, 1999|birth_name = William Thomas Ward|Born = birth date and age|1948|5|5|df=y Aston , Birmingham , England |instrument = Drum kit|Drums , Percussion instrument|percussion , Singing|vocals , keyboards |genre = Heavy metal music|Heavy metal , blues rock , hard rock |occupation = Musician , songwriter |years_active = 1966–present|label = Capitol Records|Capitol |associated_acts = Mythology (band)|Mythology , Black Sabbath , Ward One, Ronnie James Dio William Thomas "Bill" Ward (born 5 May 1948, Aston , Birmingham , England ) is an English musician, best known as the original drummer for the United Kingdom|British heavy metal music|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"cite web|title=Bill Ward's official website-Discography|url= http://www.billward.com/discography/|accessdate=February 15, 2009 from Never Say Die! . He also coined the term " downer rock ."Cite news |title=The Lost Pioneers of Heavy Metal |last=Sleazegrinder |magazine=Classic Rock |date=March 2007
Ward's drumming often closely doubled the bass and guitar riffs. An example of this is the song " Iron Man (song)|Iron Man " on the Paranoid (album)|Paranoid album.
Biography
Prior to the formation of Black Sabbath, Bill Ward and guitarist Tony Iommi played in a band called Mythology (band)|Mythology ,cite web|url=Allmusic|class=artist|id=p193862|pure_url=yes|title=AllMusic Bill Ward biography|accessdate=2009-01-24 and joined vocalist Ozzy Osbourne and bassist Geezer Butler , who had played in a band together called "Rare Breed".cite web|url=Allmusic|class=artist|id=p61332|pure_url=yes|title=AllMusic Geezer Butler biography|accessdate=2009-01-24
Between 1969 and 1980, Ward played drums on every Sabbath album. He left the band to play in Max Havoc in August 1980 during a tour for the album Heaven and Hell (Black Sabbath)|Heaven and Hell . He sat out one album (1981's Mob Rules (album)|Mob Rules ) before returning for 1983's Born Again (Black Sabbath album)|Born Again . He once again left the band following the recording of that album, due to ill health.cite web|url= http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php? id=20215|title=Bill Ward: From Jazz to Black Sabbath|accessdate=2009-01-24 He was officially back in the band again in the summer of 1984, but the band did not record or tour then.
According to Tony Iommi , he and the band would often set Ward's beard on fire and perform other harmful pranks on him. On one occasion, Ward even received third-degree burns.cite web|url= http://www.vh1classic.com/view/playlist/1531985/87116/Heavy_The_Story_of_Metal_Heavy_Rants/Tony_Iommi_Burning_Bill/index.jhtml|title=Tony Iommi Burning Bill|work=Heavy—The Story of Metal|publisher= VH1 Classic |accessdate=24 October 2009Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot
Before the full Black Sabbath reunion, Ward and the original Sabbath had re-united twice for short sets, first for Live Aid in 1985 and then at a Costa Mesa, California|Costa Mesa , California Ozzy Osbourne show on 14th November 1992. Sabbath, with Judas Priest singer Rob Halford , replacing the recently-departed Ronnie James Dio , opening the show for Osbourne. The Ozzy Osbourne band (Osbourne, Zakk Wylde , Mike Inez , Randy Castillo and John Sinclair (musician)|John Sinclair ) then did a full set before Osbourne was reunited with Iommi, Butler and Ward for four numbers.
Ward made a brief return to the band for a South American tour in 1994, before finally rejoining the band for the two shows at the Birmingham NEC, England on 4 and 5 December 1997, which made up the Reunion album. When what was billed as the original line-up reunited for the Ozzfest tour in 1997 Mike Bordin played drums. Ward then had to skip all but the last two band appearances in 1998 while he recovered from a myocardial infarction|heart attack suffered during the tour rehearsals that May. As was the case in 1980, he was again replaced at short notice by Vinny Appice , although this time it was always intended to be a temporary absence for Ward, health allowing. He was well enough to return for good in 1999 and had remained with Sabbath ever since. As of February 2012, Ward has left Black Sabbath again. http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx? mode=Article& newsitemID=169141 Bill Ward Says He May Be Forced To Sit Out Black Sabbath Reunion http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx? mode=Article& newsitemID=169201 Black Sabbath: 'We Have No Choice But To Continue Recording Without Bill Ward'
Since mid-2002, Ward has done a monthly internet only radio show named "Rock 50" on radio station WPMD from Cerritos College in California. Ward plays a variety of metal, hard rock, and some classic rock.cite web|url= http://www.billward.com/rock-50/|title=Bill Ward—Rock 50|publisher=billward.com|accessdate=7 November 2009
In October 2006 news leaked that Ward would be reuniting with Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler and Ronnie James Dio for a tour though under the moniker Heaven & Hell (band)|Heaven & Hell . However, Ward later decided not to participate in the tour or continue participation in the band due to musical differences with "a couple of the other bandmembers". http://www.billward.com/news/archives/2006/11/bill_not_in_heaven_and_hell.html Bill Ward not participating in Heaven and Helldead link|date=November 2010cite news|url= http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx? mode=Article& newsitemID=135471|title=Ward On Quitting Heaven & Hell: I Was Uncomfortable With Some Things Surrounding The Project|last=Russell|first=Tom|date=20 February 2010|publisher= Blabbermouth.net|Blabbermouth |accessdate=21 February 2010
Ward has two sons, Nigel and Aron, and one daughter, Emily. Ward maintains a vegan diet. http://therocknrollcook.com/2009/10/31/the-heavy-metal-vegan-bill-ward-pt-1
' Tama Drums|Tama Imperialstar drums # 13"x15" Tom # 16"x16" Floor Tom # 16"x18" Floor Tom # 8"x14" Snare Drum # 5"x14" Snare Drum # 14"x26" Bass Drum # 14"x26" Bass Drum # 14"x20" Gong Bass Drum # Octobans
'AA and Hand Hammered Sabian cymbals # 14" AA Rock Hats # 10" AA Mini Hats # 20" AA Medium Crash # 29" AA China (custom) # 22" Hand Hammered Raw Bell Dry Ride # 14" Hand Hammered Sizzle Hats # 22" Hand Hammered Medium Crash # 14" Hand Hammered Mini China # 22" Hand Hammered Power Ride # 21" Hand Hammered Medium Crash
Named as a prime inspiration
Ward has inspired many drummers including:
Peter Criss ( Kiss (band)|Kiss )cite web|title=Bill Ward on Answers.com|url= http://www.answers.com/topic/bill-ward|accessdate=November 26, 2010cite web|title=Bill Ward's biography Allmusic.com|url=Allmusic|class=artist|id=bill-ward-p193862|pure_url=yes|accessdate=November 27, 2010
Dale Crover ( The Melvins , The Men of Porn , Nirvana (band)|Nirvana )
1998 - Black Sabbath - Reunion (Black Sabbath album)|Reunion
2000s
2000 - Tony Iommi - Iommi (album)|Iommi
2002 - Black Sabbath - Past Lives (album)|Past Lives
2002 - Bill Ward - "Straws" (single)
2002 - Black Sabbath - Symptom of the Universe: The Original Black Sabbath 1970-1978
2003 - Dio (band)|Dio - Stand Up and Shout: The Dio Anthology
2004 - Black Sabbath - Black Box: The Complete Original Black Sabbath (1970-1978)
2006 - Black Sabbath - Greatest Hits 1970-1978
2007 - Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath: The Dio Years
2008 - Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath: The Rules of Hell Disc 1: Heaven and Hell
See also
Wikipedia-Books|Black Sabbath-
References
reflist
External links
Official website| http://www.billward.com
http://www.staythirstymedia.com/201002-042/html/201002-bill-ward-int.html/ February '09 Bill Ward Interview with Jarrod Dicker
Black Sabbath Persondata | NAME = Ward, Bill | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH = 5 May 1948 | PLACE OF BIRTH = | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Ward, Bill Category:1948 births Category:Living people Category:English rock drummers Category:English heavy metal drummers Category:English vegans Category:English expatriates in the United States Category:Black Sabbath members Category:People from Birmingham, West Midlands Category:Musicians from Birmingham, West Midlands
