Geezer Butler – Black Sabbath

Geezer Butler is a British musician, known as the bassist and primary lyricist for Ozzy Osbourne’s Black Sabbath. He currently plays bass in Deadland Ritual.

During the 1960s, Butler played in a band called the Ruums before forming The Rare Breed in 1967 with Ozzy Osbourne. When The Rare Breed split up, Butler, Osbourne and drummer Bill Ward formed a blues group called Polka Tulk. They later changed their name to Earth but the name was taken so they became Black Sabbath instead.

As well as rejoining Black Sabbath for various reunions, Butler also played with Ozzy Osbourne, GZR, and Heaven & Hell throughout the late 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, respectively.

Why Geezer Butler is vegan

Geezer Butler is the second member of Black Sabbath to be a vegan, along with founding drummer Bill Ward.

Geezer stopped eating meat at the age of eight, after seeing blood coming from a piece of meat and realising it was once an animal. He had always loved animals and was surrounded by them at home so never wanted to eat them.¹Blabbermouth. 2023. BLACK SABBATH’s GEEZER BUTLER Says He Hasn’t Eaten Meat Since He Was Eight Years Old. Available: https://blabbermouth.net/news/black-sabbaths-geezer-butler-says-he-hasnt-eaten-meat-since-he-was-eight-years-old [Accessed 25 May 2026].

In 1994, Geezer went vegan. He told Metal Hammer, ‘I was brought up vegetarian [from the age of eight] and switched to vegan because of the stuff I was getting served on the road. I didn’t want to eat egg or fish, so I just told people I didn’t want to eat it. I never had a word for it growing up, it was just what I ate!”²Hill, S. 2020. Geezer Butler: “I’m getting up there in terms of age. I have to take it one day at a time.” Metal Hammer. Available: https://www.loudersound.com/features/geezer-butler-interview-black-sabbath-veganism-and-drugs [Accessed 25 May 2026].

Geezer is a big fan of cats and campaigned against their declawing.³Grow, K. 2016. ‘Crazy Cat Person’ Geezer Butler Campaigns Against Declawing. Rolling Stone. Available: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/crazy-cat-person-geezer-butler-campaigns-against-declawing-106216/ [Accessed 17 March 2021]. But not to choose sides in the great dog versus cat debate, in 2026, Butler used his voice to speak up for beagles used in animal experimentation.⁴Beagle Freedom Project. 2026. Facebook. Available: https://www.facebook.com/BeagleFreedom/videos/it-was-an-incredible-honor-to-have-the-legendary-geezer-butler-at-the-ridglan-re/2049457156451564/ [Accessed 25 May 2026].

“I used to eat meat when I was a little kid, but I didn’t know where it came from, And one day, I cut this piece of meat open, and blood came out of it, and I asked me mother, ‘Where did this come from?’ and she said, ‘From animals,’ and that was it.”⁵Blabbermouth. 2023. BLACK SABBATH’s GEEZER BUTLER Says He Hasn’t Eaten Meat Since He Was Eight Years Old. Available: https://blabbermouth.net/news/black-sabbaths-geezer-butler-says-he-hasnt-eaten-meat-since-he-was-eight-years-old [Accessed 25 May 2026].