Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward has announced that he now needs to use a wheelchair while out and about in public.
The 78-year-old musician posted a photo of himself in a wheelchair on Instagram on Thursday and revealed that he started using the mobility device in airports 18 months ago and now needs to use it more often in public places.
“I’m announcing today somewhat sadly but nonetheless truthfully, that I’ve reached a place where publicly more and more I need to use a wheelchair, mostly in airports, or public events,” he wrote in the lengthy caption. “I can still walk, let there be no doubt, but I can’t walk very far without needing to rest, meaning I need to sit down.”
Ward assured fans that he can still play drums “pretty good” and urged them not to worry about his health.
“My talents and ambitions, and my unyielding need to be artful, and to play drums, is still as strong as it was so many years ago now,” he stated. “I’m just saying if you see me in a wheelchair, I’m just catching a ride, I’m not in retirement or ill or giving up, or any of those thoughts that ignite when we see people in wheelchairs. I’m making myself public and transparent about my new transport, and letting you know I’m OK.”
Ward, who co-founded Black Sabbath with Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler in the late ’60s, told his fans that he wanted to be forthcoming about his news because he believes keeping secrets “can be dangerous to our health”.
“If you see me in the airports or visiting friends in the music arenas or theatres say hi, I don’t bite, I’ll just look different, as pictured here. Much love to you all and I’ll keep rocking until I’m dead,” he added.
Ward’s update comes just over a year after he reunited with his original Black Sabbath bandmates for a final homecoming show, Back to the Beginning, at Villa Park in Birmingham on 5 July 2025.
Osbourne died 17 days later, on 22 July 2025, at the age of 76.
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Author: Saul Goode
Photo: Warner Bros Records – Public Domain