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Black Sabbath are gearing up to play their final show ever on Saturday (July 5), and ahead of the momentous occasion three of the four original members — guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward — reflected on how they'd like the band to be remembered.
“You can never know how your life turns out," Iommi pointed out. “It’s just believing in what you do and following that path. That’s always what I’ve had, and not give[n] up on it.”
He then said he'd like Sabbath to be remembered “for what we brought to the table. For bringing this music out and inspiring other bands to build on it.”
Ward said he hopes the band is remembered "for showing that it’s okay to push things, to be outlandish and extraordinary and rough around the edges. We were loud and aggressive, and that’s what I love about us.”
And Butler hopes people remember the metal icons “as four working-class blokes who defied all the odds, but had an unbreakable belief in ourselves, and bonded with the greatest fans ever.”
Back to the Beginning is an all-day event set to go down July 5 at Villa Park in Birmingham. It will be Black Sabbath's final show, as well as Ozzy Osbourne's final solo performance. In addition to the main acts, Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Slayer, Pantera, Gojira, Halestorm, Alice in Chains, Lamb of God, Mastodon, Anthrax, TOOL and Rival Sons will also be playing sets, along with solo performers.