What is Geezer Butler's Net Worth?
Geezer Butler is a retired musician and songwriter who has a net worth of $70 million. Geezer Butler is best known as the bassist and primary lyricist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath. He was also a member of such bands as GZR, Heaven & Hell, and Deadland Ritual, and on occasion performed and recorded with Ozzy Osbourne's band. Considered one of the most influential of all heavy metal bassists, Butler was among the first to use a wah pedal and to down-tune his instrument.
Early Life and Education
Geezer Butler was born as Terence Butler on July 17, 1949 in Birmingham, England to working-class Irish Catholic parents James and Mary. He had six siblings, and enjoyed a happy childhood despite his family's poor financial situation. Butler was educated at the prestigious Holte Grammar School. As a teenager, he learned how to play the guitar on an old acoustic with only two strings.
First Bands
In 1965, Butler joined his first band, the Ruums. Ultimately, the band played only a handful of local gigs before splitting up. Butler went on to form the band the Rare Breed with vocalist Ozzy Osbourne in 1967.
(Photo by Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images)
Black Sabbath
After the Rare Breed disbanded, Butler and Osbourne formed the blues foursome the Polka Tulk Blues Band with guitarist Tony Iommi and drummer Bill Ward. Briefly renamed Earth, the band finally settled on the name Black Sabbath in 1969. Black Sabbath went on to become one of the pioneering bands in heavy metal music, starting with its self-titled debut album in 1970. That was followed later in the year by the album "Paranoid," which topped the UK Albums Chart and launched several of Black Sabbath's signature tracks, including "Iron Man," "War Pigs," and the title song. The band's subsequent albums were 1971's "Master of Reality" and 1972's "Vol. 4."
Throughout the remainder of the 1970s, Black Sabbath released "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath," "Sabotage," "Technical Ecstasy," and "Never Say Die!," the lattermost of which was the band's final studio album featuring its original lineup. After Osbourne was fired in 1979 due to his substance abuse problems, Black Sabbath recorded the album "Heaven and Hell" with vocalist Ronnie James Dio. A number of personnel changes followed over the next decade, with many different vocalists, drummers, and bassists stepping in for stints of various lengths. Butler's last studio album with Black Sabbath until the 1990s was "Born Again," which was released in 1983.
In the early 1990s, Butler reunited with Iommi, Dio, and drummer Vinny Appice to record Black Sabbath's 16th studio album, "Dehumanizer." After the release of that album in 1992, Dio and Appice once again left the band. With vocalist Tony Martin and drummer Bobby Rondinelli, Black Sabbath released its 17th studio album, "Cross Purposes," in 1994. Later in the decade, the original lineup of the band reunited and released the live album "Reunion." The original lineup reunited again in 2011, and two years after that, released the 19th and final Black Sabbath studio album, "13." During the last stretch of its farewell tour in early 2017, the band played its final concert in Birmingham, England.
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
GZR
Having left Black Sabbath in the mid-1990s, Butler formed another heavy metal band, g/z/r. The band later went by the names geezer and GZR. With vocalist Burton C. Bell, guitarist Pedro Howse, and drummer Deen Castronovo, the group released its debut studio album, "Plastic Planet," in late 1995. GZR released two more studio albums, "Black Science" and "Ohmwork," before disbanding in 2006.
Heaven & Hell
In 2006, Butler formed the heavy metal supergroup Heaven & Hell with his Black Sabbath bandmates Iommi, Dio, and Appice. Ward also performed with the group. Heaven & Hell toured in 2007 and 2008 before releasing its sole studio album, "The Devil You Know," in 2009. The group disbanded the next year following the death of Dio.
Deadland Ritual
From 2018 to 2019, Butler performed with the short-lived hard rock supergroup Deadland Ritual. The group included vocalist Franky Perez, guitarist Steve Stevens, and drummer Matt Sorum. Deadland Ritual released two singles, "Down in Flames" and "Broken and Bruised."
Ozzy Osbourne Collaborations
On occasion, Butler has collaborated with Ozzy Osbourne beyond Black Sabbath. He played bass on Osbourne's 1990 live EP "Just Say Ozzy" and his 1995 studio album "Ozzmosis," and also appeared on his 1993 live album "Live & Loud."
Personal Life
Butler's first wife was Georgina, his childhood sweetheart from Holte Grammar School. After they divorced, he married Gloria. Butler has two sons named Biff and James.
Butler is a vegan, having sworn off animal products in the 1990s. He is also a lifelong supporter of Aston Villa Football Club. In 2023, Butler published his autobiography "Into the Void: From Birth to Black Sabbath – And Beyond."
