Ozzy Osbourne has a perfectly legit reason for not letting drummer Bill Ward back into Black Sabbath—or at least, he thinks he does. Osbourne told the New York Daily News that, although a recent contract dispute kept Ward from rejoining the group, the real reason the drummer couldn’t come back is because he’s “incredibly overweight.” Osbourne said he doesn’t think Ward could play gigs because “a drummer has to be in shape,” going on to say, “He’s already had two heart attacks. I don’t want to be responsible for his life.” That seems a bit rich coming from someone whose band members let him play shows for years while drunk and stoned out of his mind, but hey, whatever. Osbourne said if Ward gets in shape, they’d gladly have him back, saying, “The door is always open,” and that “it’s not the same [without him.]”
Sabbath did offer to let Ward tour with them recently, but would only let him play on some songs. But Ward told Guitar International he wasn’t interested, because he plays “all or nothing.” He also denied he’s out of shape, saying he “would never, ever show up for a commitment that [he] could not do physically.”