Geezer Butler facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Geezer Butler
|
|
|---|---|
Butler performing with Deadland Ritual in 2019
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Terence Michael Joseph Butler |
| Born | 17 July 1949 Birmingham, England |
| Genres |
|
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Instruments |
|
| Years active |
|
| Labels |
|
| Associated acts |
|
Terence Michael Joseph "Geezer" Butler (born on 17 July 1949) is a retired English musician. He is best known as the bassist and main songwriter for the heavy metal band Black Sabbath. He also played with bands like Heaven & Hell, GZR, Ozzy Osbourne, and Deadland Ritual.
Contents
Early Life and Nickname
Geezer Butler got his nickname "Geezer" when he was very young. His older brother was in the army and spent time with people from London. In London, "geezer" is a friendly way to say "man" or "mate." His brother would call him "geezer," and young Terence started calling everyone else "geezer" too. That's how the name stuck with him.
Butler grew up in Birmingham, England, in a large, loving family. His parents were from Dublin, Ireland. Even though they didn't have much money, he remembers his childhood as "incredibly loving and happy." Their home didn't have a phone, hot water, or an indoor bathroom. They were happy to have their own outdoor toilet.
When he was ten, Butler passed a test to attend Holte Grammar School. He loved reading and studying English literature, like Shakespeare. This helped him become a great songwriter for Black Sabbath later on. As a teenager, he also became very interested in the writings of Aleister Crowley.
Butler became a big fan of bands like The Beatles and The Kinks. He later loved Cream and Jimi Hendrix. In 1963, he met Ozzy Osbourne for the first time while waiting to see The Beatles perform in Birmingham.
Music Career Highlights
In 1965, Butler joined his first band, The Ruums. They played cover songs at local shows. This experience made him want to spend his life making music.
In late 1967, Butler formed a band called The Rare Breed with Ozzy Osbourne as the singer. Later, Butler and Osbourne teamed up with guitarist Tony Iommi and drummer Bill Ward. They first called themselves Polka Tulk, then Earth. But because another band was already named Earth, they had to change it again. Butler suggested the name Black Sabbath, inspired by a horror movie. This new name stuck, and the legendary band was born in early 1969.
Before Black Sabbath, Butler played rhythm guitar. But Tony Iommi didn't want another guitarist in the band. So, Butler switched to bass guitar. He says he played bass for the first time on stage at their very first show! He borrowed a bass that only had three strings. Butler says Jack Bruce from Cream was his biggest influence as a bassist.
In the early days of Black Sabbath, Butler helped manage the band's money. He had learned about accounting from a job at a steel company.
Butler left Black Sabbath briefly in 1979. He returned to the band for their 1980 album, Heaven and Hell. He left again in 1984 but came back a few months later.
In 1988, Butler joined Ozzy Osbourne's solo band for a world tour. He rejoined Black Sabbath in 1991 for a reunion but left again in 1994.
He played on Ozzy Osbourne's 1995 album, Ozzmosis. After that, he started his own band, G/Z/R, and released albums like Plastic Planet (1995) and Black Science (1997).
Butler returned to Black Sabbath in 1997 and stayed with them. In 2005, he released his third solo album, Ohmwork. In 2006, Butler and Tony Iommi formed a new band called Heaven & Hell with singer Ronnie James Dio and drummer Vinny Appice. This band played songs from Black Sabbath's albums that featured Dio.
He rejoined Iommi and Osbourne to record Black Sabbath's final album, 13, in 2013. They toured to support the album until 2014. Black Sabbath then went on their final tour, called "The End Tour," which ended in February 2017.
In 2023, Butler released his autobiography, Into the Void: From Birth to Black Sabbath—And Beyond. He also narrated the audiobook version. In June 2024, he made a short appearance with the band Foo Fighters in Birmingham.
Musical Style and Influence
Geezer Butler is known for being one of the first bassists to use a wah pedal. He also tuned his bass lower than usual, which matched Tony Iommi's guitar tuning. This helped create Black Sabbath's unique heavy sound.
During the time Ozzy Osbourne was the singer, Butler wrote almost all of Black Sabbath's lyrics. He was inspired by his interest in religion, science fiction, fantasy, and horror. His lyrics often explored the darker parts of human nature.
Butler is considered one of the most important bassists in heavy metal. Many famous bassists look up to him. Billy Sheehan of Mr. Big called him a "founding father of a whole genre of music."
Iron Maiden founder Steve Harris learned to play bass by listening to Black Sabbath's "Paranoid." Former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted said Butler was his "number 1 influence" and "Godfather of our chosen instrument." Other bassists like Cliff Burton, Les Claypool, and John Myung have also said Butler influenced their style.
Personal Life
Butler met his first wife, Georgina, at a school dance. They divorced in 1980. He later met his second wife, Gloria, in 1978. Gloria also managed the band Heaven & Hell. The Butlers live in Los Angeles with their cats.
His oldest son, Biff Butler, was the singer for the band Apartment 26. Butler's other son, James, studied at Oxford University and lives in London.
Geezer Butler loves animals. He became a strict vegetarian as a child and later became a vegan in the 1990s.
He is a lifelong fan of the Aston Villa Football Club, a soccer team from Birmingham. He has called them his "second religion" and later his "only religion." He could hear the crowd cheering at Villa Park from his childhood home, which had a big effect on him.
In June 2023, Butler announced he was retiring from performing live music. He also said that Black Sabbath would not be reuniting again.
Equipment
Geezer Butler uses Lakland basses and has his own special model. For his sound, he uses Hartke bass amplifiers. In the past, he has used other brands like Ampeg, Fender, Rickenbacker, and B.C. Rich basses.
Here are some of the basses he has used over the years:
- Pre-CBS Fender Precision
- Dan Armstrong Plexiglass
- John Birch (JB1 body style)
- Jaydee Roadie 2
- BC Rich Eagle Deluxe
- BC Rich Iron Bird
- Spector NS-2
- Vigier Passion 5
- Vigier Arpege
- Vigier Excess
- Bill Nash custom precision (for recording 13)
Lakland basses
Since the early 2000s, he has used several Lakland models:
- Joe Osborn 44-60 (now called a Vintage Jazz) in Seafoam green and black.
- Joe Osborn 55-60 (a 5-string Jazz bass).
- Bob Glaub 44-62 Precision Jazz in black and shoreline gold.
- 44-51 Precision in black with white pickguard.
- 44-51M Precision in white with black pickguard.
- 44-64 Duck Dunn (Vintage P with J style Neck) in gold sparkle.
- A custom Lakland 51-style Precision bass with the emblem of Aston Villa.
Signature Lakland basses
His signature models were released in 2013:
- Signature #1: Black with black and grey striped pickguard, custom fretboard inlays.
- Signature #2: Black with black and grey striped pickguard, plain headstock, "Henry" sticker on the 5th fret, rose gold inlays.
- Signature #3: Black with white pickguard, rose gold inlays, all-black headstock.
Discography
Ozzy Osbourne
Heaven & Hell
|
Black Sabbath
* 1976: Technical Ecstasy
|
Images for kids
-
Butler performing with Deadland Ritual in 2019
-
Butler in 1970
-
Butler performing with Black Sabbath in 1995
-
Butler performing with Heaven & Hell in 2007
See also
In Spanish: Geezer Butler para niños
