Ozzy Osbourne: 'Door Is Open' to Bill Ward, Should He Wish to Join Black Sabbath Reunion

Kevin Winter, Getty Images

A full Black Sabbath reunion -- i.e. one with drummer Bill Ward behind the kit -- could still come to pass, despite contractual issues within the band, Ozzy Osbourne says.

In an video interview with NME, Ozzy said "the door is open" to his bandmate, who's sitting out the group's string of reunion shows. Ward is seeking what he sees as a more equitable contract, and once he gets it, he says, he'll gladly join Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler on the road.

If any negotiations take place, they likely won't involve the Prince of Darkness.

"As far as I know his requests were very unreasonable," Ozzy said of Ward. "Nothing would have been better [than] if he would have been [willing to play with us]. I don't know. I don't deal with the business."

According to Iommi, Ward hasn't had much contact with his fellow rockers.

"We've tried everything with Bill at the moment, and it's just not happening," he said. "Our legal people are dealing with his legal people. It's all nonsense. We haven't actually heard from Bill, any of this stuff. It's all been through his lawyers."

Watch Black Sabbath's NME Interview