Geezer Butler Biography and Timeline

Birth of Terence Michael Butler

Birth of Terence Michael Butler, later Black Sabbath bassist, lyricist and founding member.

Role range: 1949-

Rare Breed

Butler forms his first band, Rare Breed, with schoolmate John "Ozzy" Osbourne in the autumn of 1967.

Black Sabbath

Geezer Butler picks the name of the band after seeing it on a movie theatre marquee, thinking it sounded doomy & gloomy

Earth

Helps form Polka Tulk Blues Band in Birmingham before the group becomes Earth and then Black Sabbath.

Polka Tulk Bass

Butler shifts to bass as Polka Tulk's classic four-member line-up emerges.

Role range: 1968-1969 – 1949-

Polka Tulk Blues Band

Plays bass in Polka Tulk Blues Band as the future Black Sabbath line-up comes together.

Role range: 1968-1969

Polka Tulk

Tony Iommi & Bill Ward were in a band called Mythology and Geezer Butler with Ozzy in a band called Rare Breed, these groups broke up and form the Polka Tulk Blues Band

Black Sabbath Lyricist

Butler becomes the principal lyricist for Black Sabbath's original line-up.

Black Sabbath Bass

Butler becomes Black Sabbath's bassist after initially playing rhythm guitar.

Black Sabbath Name

Butler's interest in horror themes helps shape the group's darker name and lyrics.

Role range: 1968-1979

Black Sabbath

Writes dark lyrical themes for the debut album, adding occult and anti-war imagery to the band's music.

Role range: 1968-1979

Paranoid

Butler contributes bass and lyrics to Black Sabbath's album Paranoid.

War Pigs

Writes lyrics for War Pigs, attacking war makers and military hypocrisy.

Role range: 1968-1979

Master of Reality

Plays bass and shapes the darker lyrical direction on Master of Reality.

Role range: 1968-1979

Technical Ecstasy

Records Technical Ecstasy as the band experiments with a more varied hard rock style.

Role range: 1968-1979

Geezer Butler Band

Butler forms the Geezer Butler Band after leaving Black Sabbath.

Departure from Black Sabbath

Butler leaves Black Sabbath during 1984 after prolonged instability within the group.

Black Sabbath

Butler re-joins Black Sabbath in 1991 for the reunion of the "Mob Rules" lineup.

Black Sabbath

Quits Black Sabbath after the Cross Purposes tour of 1994.