BLACK SABBATH’s GEEZER BUTLER Talks Upcoming Book “Into the Void”: ‘There Have Been Terrible Fall-Outs; You Forget Them and Come Back Together’

Not many bands can leave a lasting impression and legacy like Black Sabbath have done over the last 50 years. They have been flying the flag for heavy metal throughout their career to legions of fans around the world since their eponymous debut album, “Black Sabbath”, which was released on February 13, 1970. They went on to sell over 46 million albums, with 19 releases making them.

They are arguably one of the world’s biggest bands in the world and the Godfathers of Heavy Metal. Black Sabbath and its original members, including Ozzy Osbourne [vocals], Geezer Butler [bass], Tony Iommi [guitar], and Bill Ward [drums], are household names due to their hard work and perseverance. Together they catapulted Black Sabbath to stardom and became heavy metal legends.

Now Geezer Butler has released his career-spanning memoir, Into The Void: From Birth To Black Sabbath – And Beyond, which provides insights into the band’s tumultuous career with all the member changes. The book is a fascinating page-turner that chronicles his life growing up in Birmingham, England, forming Sabbath, penning the lyrics for their songs, and touring the world countless times over. He candidly shares the circumstances surrounding his departure in 1986 and what led to the band’s reunion with the four original members in 1997/1998.

Into The Void: From Birth To Black Sabbath – And Beyond is a must-read for Black Sabbath fans as it is written from a place of honesty and passion while done with integrity. The book is be available today (June 6th) in North America and will arrive in the United Kingdom on June 8th. Orders are available on Amazon.

Robert Cavuoto caught up with the legendary Geezer Butler, for a candid interview – in collaboration with our friends from Bravewords – about his life in and out of Black Sabbath. He gives us a deep dive into how they convinced Bill Ward to join the band in the late ’60s, how drugs initially fueled the band’s creativity only to hinder it later, insights into his most misunderstood song, “Black Sabbath,” and which songs from their 1980 release “Heaven and Hell” were initially written for Ozzy Osbourne. He provides the rationale for Ronnie James Dio‘s departure in 1982, why he sold the rights to the band’s name to Tony Iommi, and always remained friends with Bill Ward despite him not being part of the Sabbath‘s reunion tour. Listen to their conversation below – or read the transcript -, and remember that for more interviews and other daily content, make sure to follow Sonic Perspectives on Facebook, Flipboard and Twitter and  subscribe to our YouTube channel to be notified about new content we publish on a daily basis.

Interview Transcript:

I enjoyed your biography and learned so much from it. Readers will need an organizational diagram or scorecard to track all the musicians who have come and gone in Black Sabbath’s storied career.

 I lost track myself [laughing].

That situation lends itself to the thought that every rock band is dysfunctional.

Yes! It must be when working with four completely different people, or however many were in and out of Sabbath. We all have our quirks, and we are all very different.

There are so many great stories in