Geezer Butler says former Black Sabbath supervisor Don Arden was controversial and sometimes violent.
“He was a infamous gangster,” he mentioned throughout an look on The Rock Podcast with Denny Somach. “He was referred to as the Godfather of Rock. He had actually gangster-like strategies in the best way he received bands.”
Arden’s ruthless nature has been well-documented, together with rumors of alleged mafia connections. He had an notorious repute for getting his method by any means essential.
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“He famously hung Robert Stigwood, the Bee Gees supervisor, out of the window as a result of Robert Stigwood tried to steal certainly one of Don’s bands,” Butler mentioned.
Did Don Arden Rip Off Black Sabbath?
Butler mentioned Arden tried to swindle Black Sabbath on their very first deal.
“After we first went to see him, he wished to signal us, and he confirmed us this contract and there was an area the place the administration proportion was purported to be – and it was clean,” Butler famous. “I mentioned, ‘Effectively, how a lot are we purported to be paying you?’ He went, ‘Oh, don’t fear about that. I’ll fill that half in later.’ I mentioned, ‘Effectively, are you able to fill out how a lot you’ll be getting, your proportion now?’ And he wouldn’t do it.”
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Black Sabbath ended up going with a special supervisor early of their profession, although that relationship additionally proved detrimental. They lastly signed with Arden in 1976, and he remained via Ozzy Osbourne’s departure, Ronnie James Dio’s tenure and the transient Ian Gillan period.
“We had been off-and-on with Don,” Butler admitted. “When Ozzy left, when Ian Gillan joined the band, Don Arden was our supervisor at the moment – and he received us fairly a great deal again then. It was hit-and-miss with Don.”
How Are Don Arden and Sharon Osbourne Associated?
Arden introduced his daughter, Sharon, into the household administration enterprise within the early ’70s – and she or he met her future husband, Ozzy. The 2 started courting in 1979 and, when he was fired from Black Sabbath later that yr, she took over as Osbourne’s supervisor.
Dropping certainly one of his most well-known shoppers didn’t sit nicely with Arden. He reportedly tried on quite a few events to steal Osbourne again, even after he married Sharon in 1982.
Don and Sharon remained estranged for many years, earlier than ultimately reconciling within the early ’00s. He died in 2007 on the age of 81.
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