Heaven and Hell

On his website, Heaven and Hell bassist Geezer Butler teases the group's tour with Alice Cooper and Queensrÿche by noting that "it's time to get the hair dye out" — and in a sprawling Backbeat Online Q&A (http://blogs.westword.com/backbeat), he makes it clear that this comment was meant literally. Indeed, he's...

By Michael Roberts

September 20, 2007

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On his website, Heaven and Hell bassist Geezer Butler teases the group's tour with Alice Cooper and Queensrÿche by noting that "it's time to get the hair dye out" — and in a sprawling Backbeat Online Q&A (http://blogs.westword.com/backbeat), he makes it clear that this comment was meant literally. Indeed, he's such a fan of Just for Men products that he jokingly suggests the company should sponsor concerts by his latest band, which commemorates a version of Black Sabbath assembled in the early '80s after Ozzy Osbourne went solo. The lineup of Butler, shrieker Ronnie James Dio, guitarist Tony Iommi and drummer Vinny Appice (an occasional BS pounder who signed on after original skinsman Bill Ward said no to road work) was hardly the most memorable Sabbath incarnation. Still, the act's new CD, Radio City Music Hall Live!: 2007, finds the foursome making a compelling enough racket to compensate for Dio's cheesy "Hello New York!" between-song banter. Even with Ozzy temporarily out of the picture, Butler has a decent reason to dye another day.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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