Bill Ward | |
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Bill Ward in concert with Black Sabbath, 1999 |
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Background information | |
Birth name | William Thomas Ward |
Born | Aston, Birmingham, England |
5 May 1948
Genres | Heavy metal, blues rock, hard rock |
Occupations | Musician, songwriter |
Instruments | Drums, percussion, vocals, keyboards |
Years active | 1966–present |
Labels | Capitol |
Associated acts | Mythology, Black Sabbath, Ward One, Ronnie James Dio |
William Thomas "Bill" Ward (born 5 May 1948, Aston, Birmingham, England) is an English musician, best known as the original drummer for the British heavy metal band Black Sabbath. In addition to playing drums as an original founding member of the band, Ward sang lead vocals for two Black Sabbath songs; "It's Alright"[1] from Technical Ecstasy and "Swinging the Chain"[1] from Never Say Die!. He also coined the term "downer rock."[2] Ward's drumming often closely doubled the bass and guitar riffs. An example of this is the song "Iron Man" on the Paranoid album.
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Before the formation of Black Sabbath, Bill Ward and guitarist Tony Iommi played in a band called Mythology,[3] and joined vocalist Ozzy Osbourne and bassist Geezer Butler, who had played in a band together called "Rare Breed".[4]
Between 1969 and 1980, Ward played drums on every Sabbath album. He left the band to play in Max Havoc in August 1980 during a tour for the album Heaven and Hell.[3] He sat out one album (1981's Mob Rules) before returning for 1983's Born Again. He once again left the band following the recording of that album, because of ill health.[5] He was officially back in the band again in the summer of 1984, but the band did not record or tour then.
According to Tony Iommi, he and the band would often set Ward's beard on fire and perform other harmful pranks on him. On one occasion, Ward even received third-degree burns.[6]
Before the full Black Sabbath reunion, Ward and the original Sabbath had re-united twice for short sets, first for Live Aid in 1985 and then at a Costa Mesa, California Ozzy Osbourne show on 14 November 1992. Sabbath, with Judas Priest singer Rob Halford, replacing the recently departed Ronnie James Dio, opening the show for Osbourne. The Ozzy Osbourne band (Osbourne, Zakk Wylde, Mike Inez, Randy Castillo and John Sinclair) then did a full set before Osbourne was reunited with Iommi, Butler and Ward for four numbers.
Ward made a brief return to the band for a South American tour in 1994, before finally rejoining the band for the two shows at the Birmingham NEC, England on 4 and 5 December 1997, which made up the Reunion album. When what was billed as the original line-up reunited for the Ozzfest tour in 1997 Mike Bordin played drums. Ward then had to skip all but the last two band appearances in 1998 while he recovered from a heart attack suffered during the tour rehearsals that May. As was the case in 1980, he was again replaced at short notice by Vinny Appice, although this time it was always intended to be a temporary absence for Ward, health allowing. He was well enough to return for good in 1999 and had remained with Sabbath ever since.
Since mid-2002, Ward has done a monthly internet only radio show named "Rock 50" on radio station WPMD from Cerritos College in California. Ward plays a variety of metal, hard rock, and some classic rock.[7]
In October 2006 news leaked that Ward would be reuniting with Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Ronnie James Dio for a tour though under the moniker Heaven & Hell. However, Ward later decided not to participate in the tour or continue participation in the band because of musical differences with "a couple of the other bandmembers".[8][9]
Ward has two sons, Nigel and Aron, and one daughter, Emily. Ward maintains a vegan diet.[10]
As of February 2012, Ward has left Black Sabbath again, saying that he has failed to reach an agreement regarding his contract.[11][12]
Ward uses Tama drums, Sabian cymbals, Vic Firth drumsticks and Gibraltar hardware.[13]
Tama Imperialstar drums
AA and Hand Hammered Sabian cymbals
Ward has inspired many drummers including:
Book: Black Sabbath | |
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Bill Ward may refer to:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.