Drummer Ward is balking on Black Sabbath reunion contract

Bill Ward

As if guitarist Tony Iommi's lymphona weren't enough. Now the Black Sabbath reunion may be derailed by drummer Bill Ward not receiving an acceptable contract.

Iommi's illness has forced the postponement of Sabbath's reunion recording sessions in London and the cancellation of a performance at the Coachella festival in California. But Ward has gone public about contract negotiations because he feels he's not being treated with dignity as an original member of Sabbath.

Maybe Ward should commiserate with bassist Michael Anthony, who didn't even get invited to the Van Halen reunion.

Ward has been through this before when Sabbath manager Sharon Osbourne announced that Mike Bordin of Faith No More would drum for Sabbath on Ozzfest 2004.

Here is Ward's letter, courtesy of rollingstone.com.

Dear Sabbath Fans, Fellow Musicians and Interested Parties,

Let me say that although this has put me in some kind of holding pattern, I am packed and ready to leave the U.S. for England. More importantly, I definitely want to play on the album, and I definitely want to tour with Black Sabbath.

Since the news of Tony's illness, and the understanding that the band would move production to the U.K., I've spent every day getting to or living in a place of readiness to leave. That involves something of a task, and as I've tried to find out what's going on with the U.K. sessions, I've realized that I've been getting "the cold shoulder" (and, I might add, not for the first time). Feeling somewhat ostracized, my guess is as of today, I will know nothing of what's happening unless I sign "the unsignable contract."

The place I'm in feels lousy and lonely because as much as I want to play and participate, I also have to stand for something and not sign on. If I sign as-is, I stand to lose my rights, dignity and respectability as a rock musician. I believe in freedom and freedom of speech. I grew up in a hard rock/metal band. We stood for something then, and we played from the heart with honesty and sincerity. I am in the spirit of integrity, far from the corporate malady, I am real and honest, fair and compassionate.

If I'm replaced, I have to face you, the beloved Sabbath fans. I hope you will not hold me responsible for the failure of an original Black Sabbath lineup as promoted. Without fault finding, I want to assure everyone that my loyalty to Sabbath is intact.

So here I am. I lay my truth down before you. I'm good to go IF I get a "signable" contract. I don't want to let anyone down, especially Black Sabbath and all the Sabbath fans. You know I love you. It would be a sad day in Rock if this current situation fell to the desires of a few.

That's the story so far.

Stay safe and stay strong.

I love every single one of you.