What happened between Ozzy Osbourne and Geezer Butler? Black Sabbath bassist recalls Prince of Darkness appeared "frail" during their final show 

Geezer Butler, Black Sabbath's bassist, recently penned a touching tribute to Ozzy Osbourne following his death on July 22, 2025. In the tribute, published by The Sunday Times on July 27, the bassist recounted his decades-long friendship with the singer, including their period of estrangement.

Butler stated that he "hadn’t seen or spoken to Ozzy since Black Sabbath’s The End tour in 2017." In a May 2025 interview with The Guardian, he explained their supposed falling out, saying they cut ties for years after their wives had a disagreement over something. Butler did not disclose the reason for the supposed disagreement in the interview.

"[I] hadn’t spoken to Ozzy since the last Sabbath show in 2017, mainly because his wife and my wife had fallen out over God knows what," Butler stated.

However, in a 2024 interview with Sirius XM's Trunk Nation show, the bassist revealed that he and Ozzy Osbourne had patched things up and were now talking "practically every day now."

Butler admitted that the estrangement was due to miscommunication after Osbourne felt like the bassist was not checking on his health. Ozzy Osbourne has undergone several spinal surgeries and was diagnosed with a form of Parkinson's disease in 2019. However, Butler stated that his messages weren't getting through to the rockstar, which led him to reach out to Black Sabbath's accountant to finally reconnect.

"There was a lot of miscommunication [before]. He didn't think I was asking about his health 'cause I know he's been going through a lot of health problems, and I was sending all these messages to him and they weren't being passed on to him. So he thought I was just ignoring him," Butler said. "The weird way I had to go through Sabbath's accountant to tell Ozzy I'd sent him all these things. 'Cause he did this thing in Rolling Stone saying that I hadn't been in touch with him about his health. So I went through the accountant, and he got in touch with Ozzy and said, 'He's just been sending you stuff. He wants to talk to you.' And we've been fine since that."

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Geezer Butler wasn't "prepared to see how frail" Ozzy Osbourne was during the retirement concert

In his tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath bassist Terrence Michael Joseph "Geezer" Butler recalled seeing the rockstar appear "frail" in the days leading up to his retirement concert. The concert, titled Back to the Beginning, was held at Villa Park in Birmingham, weeks before his death on July 5, 2025.

In his tribute, Butler wrote that he did not know that the concert would be the last time he would see Ozzy Osbourne again. The bassist recounted the rehearsals before the concert, adding that Osbourne was escorted by two helpers and a nurse because of his poor health.

"I knew he wasn’t in good health, but I wasn’t prepared to see how frail he was. He was helped into the rehearsal room by two helpers and a nurse and was using a cane — being Ozzy, the cane was black and studded with gold and precious stones,” Butler said.

He continued that the rockstar seemed tired after rehearsing six or seven songs and didn't appear chatty, adding that "he was really quiet compared with the Ozzy of old."

The bassist mentioned that the concert's ending was "the strangest part of the show," because they didn't factor in Ozzy Osbourne sitting on his bat throne due to health issues, which meant he couldn't get up to join the members for their group hug and final bow.

Butler also wrote that he wished he had more time with Ozzy Osbourne backstage, but added that wishes were "redundant now," recalling one of Osbourne's frequent phrases:

"Wish in one hand and s**t in the other and see which comes first."

Geezer Butler also wrote that while Ozzy Osbourne was the "Prince of Darkness" to his fans, he would always remain the "Prince of Laughter" to him, describing the late rockstar as a "born entertainer."

He also touched on his relationship with the other Black Sabbath members, writing that there “was always an invisible link between Ozzy, Tony, Bill and me,” further stating that their bond was "unbreakable."

“I am so privileged to have spent most of my life with him. Of course, there are millions of things I will think of that I should have written, but how can I sum up 57 incredible years of friendship in a few paragraphs? God bless, Oz, it has been one hell of a ride! Love you!” he concluded his tribute.

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On July 22, 2025, the Osbourne family announced the death of Ozzy Osbourne via a statement on social media. The rockstar was 76 at the time of his death.

Edited by Shreya Das