Geezer Butler Biography

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Butler forms the Geezer Butler Band after leaving Black Sabbath.

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

Quits Black Sabbath after the Cross Purposes tour of 1994.