During the latest episode of the “On The RAGS” podast, Gloria Butler, the wife of BLACK SABBATH bassist Geezer Butler, recounted her husband’s experience traveling to the United Kingdom earlier this month from their house in Los Angeles. She said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “My husband flew to England where they’re having to quarantine still. When you land, you have to tell them where you’re staying. He gave them our house address. My husband, for those of you that don’t know, is reclusive; he doesn’t answer phones or answer doors or anything… But all of a sudden, there’s a knock at the door. He would never, ever, ever answer a door. And he’s jetlagging so badly that it’s shocking he wasn’t even sleeping or he could have been in the shower. But he actually answered the door. And they were checking up on him. It was the COVID police. How funny is that? I mean, how funny, but how scary, because he maybe wouldn’t have answered the door. So he had to show his ID so they knew it was really him. They asked if he was there on his own, which he was. And they asked — which I thought was lovely — they said, ‘I know this is really hard doing this, isolating. Is there anything I can get you? Are you okay here?'”
Asked what would have happened if Geezer hadn’t answered the door, Gloria said: “He would have been in trouble. He would have been fined.”
On May 14, Geezer tweeted about his U.K. lockdown experience, writing: “Nice to be back in England, but stuck in quarantine & need 3 COVID tests, even tho I’ve had my jabs. #COVID #LifeGoesOn #ofcourseitisraining”.
According to the Evening Standard, police forces around the U.K. were handed powers by the government last year to enforce the “stay at home” message and break up large gatherings of people. Officers were also empowered to prosecute people for breaking lockdown, not wearing masks on public transport, throwing house parties, and meeting in the street in groups.
Geezer received his second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on February 12. The musician took to his Instagram to share that he got the final dose of the vaccine. He posted a photo of him wearing a face mask and sporting sticker on his left arm that read: “I got my COVID-19 vaccine!” He wrote in an accompanying caption: “Second vaccination completed. Can I go to England now? #please #missingtherain #longestivebeenaway”.
A founding member of BLACK SABBATH, Geezer is also the lyricist of such SABBATH classics as “War Pigs”, “Iron Man”, “Paranoid” and others.
Geezer, singer Ozzy Osbourne and guitarist Tony Iommi reunited in late 2011 and released a comeback album, “13”, in June 2013.
In February 2017, SABBATH finished “The End” tour in Birmingham, closing out the quartet’s groundbreaking 49-year career.
“The End” was SABBATH‘s last tour because Iommi, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2012 and is currently in remission, can no longer travel for extended amounts of time.
Two months ago, Geezer confirmed to Cleveland.com that he is writing a memoir.
Hosted by Risa Shapiro, Amy Motta, Gloria Butler and Sloan Kivo (the RAGS) “On The RAGS” features four extraordinary women from diverse backgrounds with unique insight into business, politics, family and entertainment. Their viewpoints, while often serious, are more often hilarious.
