Black Sabbath Drummer Opens Up About Wheelchair Use

Black Sabbath's original drummer wants fans to know the wheels don't mean he's done. Bill Ward, 78, announced in a post on social media Wednesday that he increasingly uses a wheelchair at airports and public events, but stressed that he can still walk short distances—and still play. "I'm still a drummer. I can still play pretty good for 78 years old," he wrote on social media. Ward said he began relying on the chair about 18 months ago and shared a photo of himself smiling in it, the BBC reports.

• "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," he wrote.

• "I'm making myself public and transparent about my new transport, and letting you know I'm OK," Ward wrote, inviting fans to say hi if they see him: "I don't bite." He added: "The secrets we hide, can be dangerous to our health, I'm letting transparency prevail, with love and progression."
• Ward co-founded Black Sabbath in Birmingham in 1968 with singer Ozzy Osbourne, bassist Geezer Butler, and guitarist Tony Iommi. He left the band in 1980 but took part in several reunions, including last year's Back to the Beginning concert weeks before Osbourne's death. His most recent solo album, Accountable Beasts, came out in 2015, per Rolling Stone.
• In his post Wednesday, Ward said his "talents and ambitions" are as strong as they were decades ago, as is his need to play drums. "Much love to you all and I'll keep rocking until I'm dead," he told fans.