Following the show, Ward took to social media to thank fans and reflect on the experience, saying it meant everything to him to be part of the final chapter. His heartfelt words and return to the stage gave Black Sabbath the most fitting sendoff imaginable – with all four founding members standing together one last time.

Black Sabbath retired following an extensive farewell tour from 2016 to 2017. The shows featured three of the band’s four founding members – singer Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler – but not original drummer Bill Ward, who pulled out of the band several years earlier due to a contract dispute.

Black Sabbath 's Back To The Beginning show was an extraordinary success, a dizzying, warm-hearted celebration of history, roots and community. It was a celebration of Birmingham. And, most of all, it was a celebration of four men who changed the world: Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward.