Founding Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward was not involved in the band's final album, 13, and has not been involved in the group's farewell tour.
Guitarist Tony Iommi says Ward should be with his former band mates, and he regrets leaving Ward's contract up to the band's management. Iommi was fighting cancer at the time and was eager to get Black Sabbath back together in case he didn't have much time left.
"When I was going through my [cancer] treatment, I didn't think I was going to last," Iommi said, according to an NME report. "I wanted to get things going quick, and Bill wanted to take longer.
"Bill seemed to feel he was getting a bad deal. We never dealt with that, we left all that to management. We just wanted to play together and enjoy it. We were playing with Bill for a bit and then he never turned up."
Iommi says he hopes to bury the hatchet with Ward and get together with him again, even if it's outside of the band.
"To be honest with you, I don't know what the f**k happened because I don't do the business side of it. I'm sorry Bill couldn't work something out, I really am, but I'm really glad we did this tour."
Ward initially committed to being part of Black Sabbath's reunion but later backed out. While Ward claimed his reticence to tour with the group had to do only with the contract the group offered him, frontman Ozzy Osbourne claimed Ward was in ill health and physically unable to tour.
Black Sabbath is preparing for two final shows in their hometown of Birmingham, England, Feb. 2 and 4.
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