«Today I inform you, with a bit of sadness but also with sincerity, that I have reached the point where I need to use a wheelchair more and more often, especially at airports or during public events. I'm still able to walk, mind you, but not for long stretches and without having to stop to rest, so I need to sit down.”
Thus begins the post in which Bill Ward, the drummer of Black Sabbath, talks about his new leadership. He started using a wheelchair a year and a half ago, mostly at the airport. «Last May 5th I turned 78. I have always been a great walker, have covered long distances in many parts of the world and still play the drums. And, for 78 years old, I can still play it pretty well.”
“My talent, my ambitions and my unshakable need to create and play the drums are as strong today as they were years ago,” he continues to the musician. «I just want to tell you that if you see me in a wheelchair, it simply means I'm hitching a ride. I haven't retired, I'm not sick and I'm not giving up, nor are the other conclusions that often come to mind when you see someone in a wheelchair.”
«I have decided to speak openly and transparently about my new means of transport to let you know that I am fine. If you see me at the airport or while I go to visit friends in the arenas or theaters where music is performed, come and say hello. I don't bite, I just look different, like the one you see in the photo. I send you lots of love and I will continue to rock as long as I'm alive.”
The note: «The secrets we hide can be dangerous for our health. I choose transparency, with love and with the will to move forward.”
