http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/7669975/geoff-nicholls-black-sabbath-keyboardist-dies-at-68
 
Played keyboards on some of my favorite Black Sabbath albums (though since practically every Sabbath record is "one of my favorites", I guess that doesn't mean much...)

when i first heard rumors of a death in the sabbath camp i was half expecting it to be tony iommi due to his recent troubles, but soon found out it was geoff nicholls the unofficial 5th member of sabbath. still very sad and by all reports taking a bit of an emotional toll on tony iommi due to the pairs closeness throughout the years.
 
my fav band ever, just wish bill ward would have done the final tours with them, even though i did enjoy the concerts and the opportunity to see them for the last time.

I would imagine that Iommi must indeed be deeply affected. Not to mention that it's the second of his close friends/bandmates he loses to cancer. And considering how he has been struggling with cancer... 

I, too, was shocked - to find out that Sabbath had a keyboard player.

He was also in Quartz, certainly contenders for 'worst dressed band ever'
 

bitflipper
I, too, was shocked - to find out that Sabbath had a keyboard player.

Well, they started introducing things like mellotron and piano pretty early on. From 1972 on, there's keyboard in one form or another on every album up until 13, the reunion album that came out a couple of years ago.
 
If I'm not mistaken, Rick Wakeman played on their fifth album in 1973. 
 
Not always at the forefront and it must not have been the most challenging gig for a keyboard player, but it was there.

jamesg1213
He was also in Quartz, certainly contenders for 'worst dressed band ever'
 

Totally reminded me of this:
 

Rain

bitflipper
I, too, was shocked - to find out that Sabbath had a keyboard player.

...
 If I'm not mistaken, Rick Wakeman played on their fifth album in 1973. 
 ...

 
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. Rick is in one cut, and rumored to have added more. It's on the Rick Wakeman special with Toni ... you must watch that ... it's very good!