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R.I.P. Geoff Nicholls, Keyboardist of Black Sabbath, 1948-2017

geoff nicholls black sabbath tony iommi

Sad news today from the camp of heavy metal forebears Black Sabbath, who report that longtime keyboardist Geoff Nicholls has died following a long fight with lung cancer. Nicholls, who occasionally also contributed rhythm guitar and bass to the band on stage, was a rarely-seen but often-heard presence in Sabbath, adding texture to the crucial albums of the band’s first era post-Ozzy Osbourne and taking part in the great expansion of their sound that 1980’s Heaven and Hell and 1981’s Mob Rules represented, as well as the continuing process of remaking the aesthetic the band helped create across outings like 1983’s Born Again, which brought in Ian Gillan to replace Ronnie James Dio, and into the Tony Martin years with 1987’s The Eternal Idol, 1989’s Headless Cross, 1990’s Tyr, their Dehumanizer 1992 Dio reunion LP, 1994’s Cross Purposes, and 1995’s Forbidden, which brought Martin back into the fold.

During this time of change for Sabbath, Nicholls was a steady presence alongside founding guitarist Tony Iommi amid an often tumultuous lineup. Some of his greatest work can be heard on these under-heralded outings, as well as on 1982’s Live Evil, and though he doesn’t receive the same kind of credit as Iommi, Osbourne, original bassist Geezer Butler or drummer Bill Ward, the atmospheric crux he was able to bring to Black Sabbath during his years with the band still resonates in their ongoing influence on metal in both the commercial and underground spheres.

Nicholls continued to play with Sabbath through their first reunion with Osbourne in the late ’90s, appearing on the single “Psycho Man” and on the 1998 Reunion live album, and into the middle of the last decade, also working with Iommi on the 2004 side-project, The 1996 DEP Sessions. His last appearance on a Sabbath record was 2007’s Live at Hammersmith Odeon, which captured recordings from the early ’80s, but in 2016, he would rejoin with his former bandmates in Quartz to release Fear No Evil, their first album since 1983 and his final studio appearance.

Said Tony Iommi of Nicholls’ passing:

I’m so saddened to hear the loss of one of my dearest and closest friends Geoff Nicholls. He’s been suffering for a while now with lung cancer and he lost his battle this morning. Geoff and I have always been very close and he has been a real true friend to me and supported me all the way for nearly 40 years. I will miss him dearly and he will live in my heart until we meet again.

Rest In Peace my dear friend.
Tony

On behalf of myself and this site, condolences to the friends and family of Nicholls as well as to the fans who have appreciated his work over the last five decades.

Black Sabbath are in the process of winding down their farewell shows prior to a reported retirement. Their most recent album, 13, was released in 2013.

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