In a recent interview with Reader’s Digest, bassist Geezer Butler talked about the ultimatum Ozzy Osbourne’s wife, Sharon Osbourne, gave to her husband during one of his solo tours. Here’s what Butler recalled about it:
“A rainbow helped me make a heart-rending decision. When my second son, James, was born in 1984, blood wasn’t flowing into his lungs properly. The doctors asked me if they could operate, but there was only a 50 percent chance of success.
“It was a dark, rainy day outside, but as I asked God for some guidance, a rainbow appeared. The operation went ahead, and after several more operations, James was eventually OK. I took a couple of years off touring, as I didn’t want to leave James.”
He went on:
“I eventually joined Ozzy on one of his solo tours. His wife, Sharon, had told him to stop taking drugs and drinking, or she’d leave him. To my relief, it was a very calm tour, after all I’d been through.”