{"id":251101,"date":"2026-07-10T00:58:39","date_gmt":"2026-07-10T00:58:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/10\/black-sabbaths-bill-ward-78-shares-health-update-nearly-1-year-after-bandmate-ozzy-osbournes-death\/"},"modified":"2026-07-10T00:58:39","modified_gmt":"2026-07-10T00:58:39","slug":"black-sabbaths-bill-ward-78-shares-health-update-nearly-1-year-after-bandmate-ozzy-osbournes-death","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/10\/black-sabbaths-bill-ward-78-shares-health-update-nearly-1-year-after-bandmate-ozzy-osbournes-death\/","title":{"rendered":"Black Sabbath\u2019s Bill Ward, 78, Shares Health Update Nearly 1 Year After Bandmate Ozzy Osbourne\u2019s Death"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Former Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward<\/strong> shared a significant update about his health nearly one year after late bandmate Ozzy Osbourne<\/strong><\/a>\u2019s death at age 76<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m announcing today somewhat sadly but nonetheless truthfully, that I\u2019ve reached a place where publicly more and more I need to use a wheelchair, mostly in airports, or public events,\u201d Ward, 78, announced via X<\/a> on Thursday, July 9. \u201cI can still walk, let there be no doubt, but I can\u2019t walk very far without needing to rest, meaning I need to sit down.\u201d<\/p>\n

He went on, \u201cWe started using the wheelchair about 18 months ago, mostly in airports. I became 78 years old on May 5th 2026. I was a long distance walker, I\u2019ve walked in many different parts of the world, and I\u2019m still a drummer. I can still play pretty good for 78 years old.\u201d<\/p>\n

The musician has had his share of medical issues over the years, including struggles with mental health and sobriety during the band\u2019s heyday. (Ward got sober and became a vegan in the 1980s, earning himself a nickname as the \u201cHeavy Metal Vegan.\u201d)<\/p>\n

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\n Bill Ward<\/span> Courtesy X \/ Bill Ward<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In 1998, Ward suffered a heart attack while rehearsing for Black Sabbath\u2019s reunion tour and later recovered from additional cardiac incidents in 2017 and 2021. In recent years, the drummer has dealt with mobility issues.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy 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,\u201d he added. \u201cI\u2019m just saying if you see me in a wheelchair, I\u2019m just catching a ride, I\u2019m not in retirement or ill or giving up, or any of those thoughts that ignite when we see people in wheelchairs.\u201d<\/p>\n

He went on, \u201cI\u2019m making myself public and transparent about my new transport, and letting you know I\u2019m OK. If you see me in the airports or visiting friends in the music arenas or theatres say hi, I don\u2019t bite, I\u2019ll just look different, as pictured here. Much love to you all and I\u2019ll keep rocking until I\u2019m dead.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the secrets we hide, can be dangerous to our health, I\u2019m letting transparency prevail, with love and progression,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\n

Ward\u2019s announcement came just shy of one year after the Osbourne family confirmed the death of former Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy on July 22, 2025.<\/p>\n

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\n Related: <\/span>Ozzy Osbourne Health Struggles Prior to His Death: A Timeline<\/span><\/a>
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\n\t\t\tOzzy Osbourne experienced a series of health ups and downs prior to his death. Ozzy, who tied the knot with Sharon Osbourne in 1982, revealed he had Parkinson\u2019s disease in 2020. (Ozzy and Sharon shared daughters Kelly and Aimee and son Jack. He was also father to Elliot, Louis and Jessica with ex-wife Thelma Riley.) [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cIt is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning,\u201d Osbourne\u2019s family said in a statement to Us Weekly<\/em> at the time. \u201cHe was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.\u201d<\/p>\n

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