Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward has some new wheels, but don’t let them fool you — he’s still living like a rock star.
The musician revealed Thursday (July 9) that he’s now using a wheelchair in most public outings, news he shared in an Instagram post titled, “Something New To Let You Know About.”
“Dear Friends, Fans, Families, and people I’ve not met yet,” he wrote. “I’m announcing today somewhat sadly but nonetheless truthfully, that I’ve reached a place where publicly more and more I need to use a wheelchair, mostly in airports, or public events. I can still walk, let there be no doubt, but I can’t walk very far without needing to rest, meaning I need to sit down.”
The percussionist went on to explain that he first began using the wheelchair occasionally about 18 months ago, “mostly in airports,” but has started depending on it more following his 78th birthday this past May. “I was a long distance walker, I’ve walked in many different parts of the world, and I’m still a drummer,” Ward continued. “I can still play pretty good for 78 years old.”
“My talents and ambitions, and my unyielding need to be artful, and to play drums, is still as strong as it was so many years ago now,” the rocker added. “I’m just saying if you see me in a wheelchair, I’m just catching a ride, I’m not in retirement or ill or giving up, or any of those thoughts that ignite when we see people in wheelchairs.”
Ward ended his message with a promise to “keep rocking until I’m dead” and his thought that because secrets “can be dangerous to our health, I’m letting transparency prevail, with love and progression.”
He also shared a photo of himself in his wheelchair, smiling at the camera.
The news comes about one year after Ward reunited with Black Sabbath for frontman Ozzy Osbourne’s farewell concert in Birmingham, England. Just two weeks later, Osbourne died at age 76 from cardiac arrest and coronary artery disease, having also struggled with Parkinson’s.
“Where will I find you now? In the memories, our unspoken embraces, our missed phone calls,” Ward wrote on Instagram at the time. “No, you’re forever in my heart. Deepest condolences to Sharon and all family members. RIP. Sincere regrets to all the fans. Never goodbye. Thank you forever.”
Ward helped found Black Sabbath in the late ’60s, scoring several Billboard 200-charting albums — such as Master of Reality in 1971 and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath in 1974 — before leaving the lineup in the early ’80s. He would still make occasional appearances with the band up until Osbourne’s farewell show.
