Black Sabbath’s Geezer Butler Arrested for Assault, Vandalism
Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler was arrested Tuesday night after getting into a fight in a bar in California’s Death Valley National Park, according to a police statement. Officers from the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office arrested the 65-year-old musician for misdemeanor assault, public intoxication and vandalism.
The fight took place at the Corkscrew Saloon in Death Valley’s Furnace Creek Ranch. “After the Inyo County Sheriff’s Deputy arrived on scene and interviewed witnesses, it was determined that there had been an argument that escalated into a physical confrontation – resulting in an individual being struck and a broken window,” Inyo County police said in a statement.
Butler was booked into the county jail, but was later released after “detox and citation.”
A representative for Butler was not immediately available for comment.
Last year, Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne said that the band hoped to begin writing sessions for a new album around this time and promised at least one more set of live dates. “We’re going to do one more album, and a final tour,” he told Metal Hammer.
Osbourne said the band drew encouragement from the positive response to 2013’s critically acclaimed and commercially successful 13. “Once the dust settled after the last tour we started discussing the idea – because we were getting asked about it all the time,” said Osbourne. “I said [to my wife], ‘Sharon, I ain’t fucking 21 anymore. If we’re going to do [it], I want to do it before I’m 70. Time isn’t on our side.’ So she made the call and came back and said, ‘Yeah, the record company wants another album.’ I believe Rick Rubin is going to do it with us again.”
The group have yet to announce a date or more details for their upcoming album.