Bill Ward (musician)

William Thomas "Bill" Ward (born 5 May 1948) is an English musician and visual artist, best known as the original drummer for the British heavy metal band Black Sabbath. An original founding member of the band, Ward also performed as lead vocalist on two Black Sabbath songs; "It's Alright" from the album Technical Ecstasy and "Swinging the Chain" from the album Never Say Die! Ward is known for his very unorthodox style of playing the drums, often using snare-drills and tempo-drop to match both vocals and riff.

Biography

Early years and Black Sabbath

Bill Ward started to play drums as a child, listening to the big bands of the 1940s and his major influences were Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich and Louie Bellson. Later he was influenced by drummers such as Larrie Londin, Bernard Purdie, Joe Morello, Keef Hartley, Hughie Flint, John Bonham, Ringo Starr, Jim Capaldi, Clive Bunker. In the mid-1960s Ward sang and played drums in a band called The Rest. Ward and guitarist Tony Iommi played together in a band called Mythology, and upon that band's dissolution joined vocalist Ozzy Osbourne and bassist Geezer Butler, who had played together in a band called Rare Breed. The new band called themselves Earth, soon to be renamed Black Sabbath.

Bill Ward

Bill Ward may refer to:

See also

Bill Ward (actor)

Bill Ward (born William Ward, 5 May 1967, Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland) is an English actor and photographer known for his roles as Charlie Stubbs in Coronation Street and James Barton in Emmerdale.

Biography

He completed a degree in History at Bristol University. He is a former advertising executive. After Coronation Street, he had a role in the ITV series Cold Blood with Pauline Quirke. He is due to play Sir Lancelot, and other characters, in the latest Monty Python West End, Stage Production, Spamalot. He also had a small cameo role in the Jonathan Creek episode "Satan's Chimney", as a man who chatted up Julia Sawalha's character Carla Borrego after briefly offending her.

Coronation Street

In 2003, he joined the cast of Coronation Street, portraying local builder Charlie Stubbs. The character was frequently involved in controversial storylines, including an abusive relationship with former Rovers Return landlady, Shelley Unwin, portrayed by Sally Lindsay.

In 2006, Ward announced that he was to leave Coronation Street in an episode to air during 2007. The plot device required for his exit was provided by his affair with Maria Sutherland, prompting his lover, Tracy Barlow, to take drastic revenge by killing him. He won "Best Exit" and 'Best Storyline' at the 2007 British Soap Awards.

Bill Ward (cartoonist)

William Hess Ward (March 6, 1919 – November 17, 1998), known as Bill Ward, was an American cartoonist notable as a good girl artist and creator of the risqué comics character Torchy.

Biography

Early life and career

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Ward grew up in Ridgewood, New Jersey, where his father was an executive with the United Fruit Company.

At age 17, Ward, already an art hobbyist, began his professional career by illustrating "beer jackets", a type of white denim jacket with text or design printed or drawn on the book; Ward charged one dollar a jacket, and by his own count drew hundreds during that summer. He went on to attend Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, where one classmate was future naturist painter Bob Kuhn. Ward graduated in 1941, and through the university's placement bureau obtained a Manhattan art-agency job at $18 a week, sweeping floors, running errands and serving as an art assistant. He was fired after accidentally cutting in half a finished Ford automobile illustration with a matte knife.