Original BLACK SABBATH drummer Bill Ward has confirmed that he is working on an autobiography.
The 72-year-old rocker revealed his plan to tell his life story in book form during a March 12 appearance on SiriusXM‘s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk”.
Regarding what fans can expect from his autobiography, Ward said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “It’s not [going to be], like, ‘In 1968 we became famous, and then we did this and then we did that.’ In the book, I’m trying to be as careful about what I’m saying in order not to harm anybody — either the reader or anybody else that I’ve ever made contact with in my life. And right in the front of the book, there’s a great big notice to self, which is do not discriminate or do not say undignified things about your fellows or anything else. So it’s not gonna be a dirt book that puts me right down way below everything else, where the publishers — or some publishers — like it to be. I’m trying to write something that’s dignified.”
He added: “There are [things in the book that are] more pinpointed rather than all the other things about rock and roll — things that are, to me, distasteful now. I have grandchildren, so I’m writing it, more or less, for the grandchildren, so they can understand that I worked with some great men, some great players, some great musicians — I’ve worked with so many good musicians. And so far, I still continue to do that. So I hope it’ll be a book about being honorable and being worthwhile to other musicians and to interested readers.”
Ward said that he had completed another book a while ago for which he has secured a publisher and which doesn’t yet have a release date. In addition, he is “writing two or three other books,” he said. ‘I write all the time. Some of them are very personalized things. Some of them are sarcastic looks at life.”
Bill was on board for the SABBATH reunion when it was first announced nine years ago, but backed out soon after. The drummer later claimed that he sat out the recording and touring sessions because of unfair contractual terms, although the members of SABBATH have hinted in other interviews that he wasn’t physically up to the task.
All four original members of SABBATH were present when the band announced its reunion in late 2011. But Ward split from the group in 2012, citing an “unsignable” contract, and singer Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler carried on with their Rick Rubin–produced “13” LP and extensive international touring without him.
It was rumored that SABBATH wanted to bring a second drummer on the road to share duties with Ward, something that Iommi confirmed in 2017 during a question-and-answer session about SABBATH‘s “Ten Year War” box set.
