Latest news with #Iommi
BBC News
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Tony Iommi on Ozzy Osbourne's death: 'It's like losing a brother'
Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi has said the loss of his bandmate Ozzy Osbourne is "like losing a brother".The pair, who met at school in Aston, Birmingham, before being catapulted into the limelight with Black Sabbath and forging the heavy metal genre, were best friends for 57 family announced his death on Tuesday, just a few weeks after performing for the last time with Black Sabbath for their farewell show at Birmingham's Villa Park."It's been difficult, because it's just a shock really. I haven't been able to get myself organised properly since hearing this. It's been really strange," Iommi said. He added that Sabbath bandmate Geezer Butler had expressed a similar feeling when the pair spoke following Osbourne's death."He's much the same, just can't pull yourself together. It really has affected us bad," he said."I find it difficult at the moment to really accept that. I still think he's there, I still go to text him and stuff - [but] he's not there any more." The pair were rehearsing together just two weeks ago for the band's farewell gig for charity."We'd rehearse and then Ozzy came down - but we didn't want to do too much with Oz because he was under a lot of pressure," Iommi said."And he really wanted to do it, but at the same time we didn't want to push him into 'let's do that again'."But I'm glad we did it, and I'm glad we did it for Oz because it really did motivate him." Iommi said the gig gave his friend renewed direction in recent years and "something to work towards". "It was really worth doing for all of us, for the band to be together on our final thing, not knowing Ozzy was gonna pass away shortly afterwards, but just to get together again because we've been trying to get the original four back for years."The pair would often speak on the phone over the years, but Iommi laughed: "What Ozzy and I talk about - 'I've had this pain in my side, oh my arm's playing up, oh my foot'. It's been one of them. We always start off like that. "Then 'what's the weather like there?'" Since Osbourne's passing, Birmingham has been flooded with fans wanting to pay tribute to the heavy metal have flocked to sites such as the Black Sabbath bridge, the recently painted mural of the band on Navigation Street, and Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery where an official book of condolence has been in the city have asked what would be a fitting tribute to the man who has secured his place in music history, while always remaining proud of his roots and his beloved have called for a statue and others an annual day of said perhaps a statue was appropriate, but also believed there should be a statue of the full band."We've all been a team and we're gonna go at some point," he said."I think he'd be happy that everybody remembers him and everybody loves him and everybody's come out like they have." Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
New York Post
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Ozzy Osbourne was ‘frustrated' during Black Sabbath's farewell concert: bandmate
In the wake of his death, Ozzy Osbourne's Black Sabbath bandmate is shedding light on the quiet struggle behind the rock group's final show. Tony Iommi, Black Sabbath guitarist and co-founder, told UK broadcaster ITV that Osbourne was 'frustrated' during the band's farewell concert on July 5. The heavy metal icon died less than three weeks later, on July 22, at age 76. 5 Iommi told UK broadcast ITV that Osbourne was 'frustrated' during Black Sabbath's farewell concert. ITV News/Youtube 'I think he was moved and frustrated as well, 'cause he wanted to stand up,' Iommi, 77, told the outlet on July 23. 'You could see he was trying to get up.' Advertisement The 'Crazy Train' singer, who had struggled with Parkinson's disease since his diagnosis in 2020, performed from a black leather chair during the show at Villa Park in Birmingham. Though the throne, decorated with a bat motif, was classic Ozzy, Iommi told BBC Radio 4's 'Today' on July 23 that sitting onstage wasn't quite what his bandmate wanted. 5 Osbourne performed from a black leather chair during the show. Greg Draven/X 'I think of him and the fun we had, really. That's what was weird about this show because Ozzy was seated in a throne, and that's the last thing that Ozzy would have ever wanted to be but it had to,' he said. 'Normally, he's bouncing around onstage and coming up to me and pulling faces. He'd always have a laugh.' Advertisement Iommi told ITV that Osbourne had texted him the day before he died, saying he was tired and had no energy. 'We could see it in rehearsal,' he explained. 'We didn't want him there every day at rehearsal because it's too much. He just wouldn't be able to stand it.' 5 Black Sabbath's final performance took place on July 5 at Villa Park in Birmingham. REUTERS He continued, 'They'd bring him in, and he'd sit down and sing a few songs. And then, we'd talk about some rubbish, old times, or whatever, have a laugh, and then he'd go.' Advertisement Still, Iommi said the final performance 'meant everything to [Osbourne].' 'This is what we built up for — for that big ending, where he could see all the people, and we could all see all the people and close it in that way,' he added. 'We didn't expect to close it so quick with us. We didn't expect him to go that quick, really. We didn't expect him to go, so it's been a shock.' 5 Osbourne's Black Sabbath bandmates paid tribute to him on social media. WireImage After news broke of the Prince of Darkness' passing, Iommi took to Instagram to pay tribute to his late bandmate. Advertisement Alongside a carousel of throwback photos of Osbourne and Black Sabbath, he wrote: 'I just can't believe it! My dear dear friend Ozzy has passed away only weeks after our show at Villa Park. It's just such heartbreaking news that I can't really find the words, there won't ever be another like him. Geezer, Bill and myself have lost our brother. My thoughts go out to Sharon and all the Osbourne family. Rest in peace Oz.' 5 Iommi and Osbourne performing onstage. Redferns Fellow Black Sabbath members bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward also shared heartfelt messages in the wake of Osbourne's death. Butler, 76, for his part, posted on Instagram: 'Goodbye dear friend- thanks for all those years- we had some great fun. 4 kids from Aston- who'd have thought, eh? So glad we got to do it one last time, back in Aston. Love you.' Ward, 77, wrote on X: 'Where will I find you now? In the memories, our unspoken embraces, our missed phone calls, no, you're forever in my heart. Deepest condolences to Sharon and all the family members. RIP Sincere regrets to all the fans. Never goodbye. Thank you forever.'
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ozzy Osbourne Performing Final Gig From Throne ‘Last Thing He Would Have Wanted,' Says Black Sabbath Bandmate
Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi has discussed the band's farewell show following the death of lead singer Ozzy Osbourne on Tuesday (July 22), saying that Ozzy performing while seated on a throne was 'the last thing he would have wanted.' Iommi was speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today program on Wednesday (July 23) about the Back to The Beginning concert on July 5 in Birmingham, England, the all-star performance at Villa Park that featured the final live performances of Black Sabbath and Ozzy, alongside guest appearances from Metallica, Slayer, Guns N' Roses and many more. More from Billboard 9 Best Moments From Black Sabbath & Ozzy Osbourne's Epic All-Star Farewell Show Marvin Winans' 'Forgiveness,' From Justin Bieber's 'SWAG,' Debuts at No. 1 on Hot Gospel Songs Chart Texas' Alamo Posts Loving Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne, Who Once Urinated on Sacred Memorial: 'We Honor History in All Its Complexities' Osbourne performed nine tracks in total at the event while sat on an epic black throne decorated with a motif of a bat. In his final years, Osbourne battled a number of illnesses and injuries, including Parkinson's disease which impacted his mobility. Speaking on the show, Iommi was asked how he'd remember Osbourne and his performances. 'I think of him and the fun we had really. That's what was weird about doing this [final] show because Ozzy was seated in a throne, you know, and that's the last thing that Ozzy would have ever wanted to be but it had to,' he said. 'Normally he's bouncing around on stage and coming up to me and pulling faces. You know, he'd always have a laugh. And it was the same with [Geezer Butler], it's always been like that forever and we always jeered each other on.' He continued, 'It was always good fun, even though we take the music seriously, we did make each other laugh during the set. I've always known him like that, I've known him since we were at school together. He was in a younger [school] year to me, probably a nuisance I should think! But his character is the way he's always been and Ozzy's never really changed and he's always been him which is great.' Ozzy's passing was announced on Tuesday by his family who said he was 'surrounded by love' in his final moments. A cause of death has not yet been revealed. His Sabbath bandmates – Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward – shared statements discussing their friend's passing and their final performance. Iommi wrote, 'I just can't believe it! My dear dear friend Ozzy has passed away only weeks after our show at Villa Park. It's such heartbreaking news that I can't really find the words. There won't ever be another like him. Geezer, Bill and myself have lost our brother. My thoughts go out to Sharon and all the Osbourne family. Rest in peace Oz.' Bassist Butler referenced the band's show at Villa Park (home to local soccer team Aston Villa F.C.) in his post. 'Goodbye dear friend – thanks for all those years. We had some great fun. Four kids from Aston — who'd have thought, eh?' he wrote. 'So glad we got to do it one last time, back in Aston. Love you.' Drummer Ward also shared a touching tribute: 'Where will I find you now? In the memories, our unspoken embraces, our missed phone calls. No, you're forever in my heart. Deepest condolences to Sharon and all family members. RIP. Sincere regrets to all the fans. Never goodbye. Thank you forever.' The band's official social media accounts posted a striking image of Osbourne from their farewell show, captioned simply: 'Ozzy Forever.' The Back to the Beginning concert raised approximately $190 million (£140 million) to various local charities according to the show's musical director Tom Morello. The concert was livestreamed and will appear in cinemas in 2026. A number of music greats have honored Ozzy, including Metallica, Elton John, Foo Fighters and more. Coldplay, Lady Gaga, Dave Matthews Band, and more all incorporated covers of Black Sabbath material into their live performances following the news. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart Solve the daily Crossword
Scottish Sun
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
It all started when Bill and I went round to Ozzy's house looking for a singer, says Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi
Legendary metal group Black Sabbath are making their last stand close to home at Villa Park SABBATH'S FINAL STAND It all started when Bill and I went round to Ozzy's house looking for a singer, says Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) FOR 57 years, Tony Iommi has been Black Sabbath's keeper of the flame. He is 'Master Of The Riffs' — some say he invented heavy metal — and he is the only band member to stay the course. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 5 Heavy metal Black Sabbath in 1970, pictured Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, Bill Ward and Ozzy Osbourne Credit: Alamy 5 'Master of the riffs' Iommi Credit: Getty 'Everybody else has come and gone and come back,' the guitarist tells me in his soft Brummie tones. 'I've been the constant one.' Talking to the affable Iommi, 77, it's hard to imagine that he's responsible for some of rock's darkest, dirtiest, most bone-crunching riffs. Tomorrow, he and the rest of the original line-up face their final curtain. It's our last chance to hear Paranoid, War Pigs and Iron Man performed live by the four musicians who created them. No doubt all eyes will be on the singer, the 'Prince Of Darkness' himself. Despite complaining to me recently that he has enough health issues 'to fill a medical dictionary', Ozzy Osbourne is set to give his hometown of Birmingham a hellraising last hurrah. But let's not forget that the Back To The Beginning extravaganza at Villa Park also marks the end of a journey for bassist Geezer Butler, drummer Bill Ward — and Iommi. Sabbath are held in highest esteem by the bands that followed in their wake, hence an incredible supporting cast. With Rage Against The Machine's Tom Morello serving as musical director, there's a blizzard of metal titans paying their dues. Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Alice In Chains, Sammy, Hagar, Steven Tyler (Aerosmith), Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins), Duff McKagan and Slash (Guns N' Roses), Fred Durst (Limp Bizkit) — the list goes on. Ozzy Osbourne announces final Black Sabbath gig as band reunite for 'greatest heavy metal show ever' with HUGE line up 'It's a great honour,' says Iommi. 'I'm so proud of everyone who has come forward to support Sabbath. 'They've come from everywhere to be a part of something. This is a real one-off.' Iommi is particularly chuffed that his old mucker Ward, who he first met at Birchfield Road School, is back in the Sabbath fold for the first time since 2005. At school, I didn't even know that Ozzy could sing Iommi 'Bill and I were in a couple of bands before Sabbath,' he says, 'and that's when we went round to Ozzy's house looking for a singer. It was how it all started.' Seeing that the gig is called Back To The Beginning, I ask Iommi to sift through the mists of time to describe how the band came together. He begins by giving me his first impressions of Ozzy before moving on to Geezer. 'At school, I didn't even know that Ozzy could sing,' he says. 'It was a racket at first, I must say, but after we'd been playing for a while, he got really good.' As for the singer's madcap behaviour, Iommi adds: 'He got more loony as we went on. In the early days, we'd be on this little stage at a club or somewhere and we had this thing between us. 'If I broke a string, I'd shout to Ozzy, 'Organise a raffle, organise a raffle!' which meant, 'Talk to the audience'. 'He wasn't very good at that in the early days, he didn't know what to say. 'But he got more and more confident and, eventually, he became like he is — very out front.' Iommi moves on to Geezer and says: 'Before Sabbath, Bill and I used to play these all-nighters at a place in Birmingham. 'I always remember seeing Geezer there, crawling up walls because of the drugs they were on in those days. 'I made my fingertips' 'Me and Bill used to think, 'Blimey, he's mad, that guy'. Of course, when we got together with him, we realised he was very, very sensible. 'Geezer had never played bass before — he was a guitar player — but it was amazing how quickly he picked it up.' So what about Iommi himself? 'Originally, I wanted to play drums,' he replies, 'but because of where we lived with my parents, you couldn't get a drum kit in the house. It was so small. 'My mother bought me a guitar, one of these cheap £20 ones from a catalogue, and I sat in my room learning to play. I really enjoyed it.' Then he adds with a self-deprecating chuckle: 'And I'm still trying to learn to play the guitar!' This was the early Sixties when one band in particular caught Iommi's ear — The Shadows led by his guitar hero Hank Marvin. 5 The band now, from left Bill, Geezer, Ozzy and Tony ahead of their last gig Credit: Ross Halfin 'I used to listen to the Top 20 on my little radio,' he says. 'The Shadows really inspired me because I loved their sound and style. 'They were an instrumental band and it was great because I had something to learn and to relate to. Then I could go off and do my own thing.' I thought that I'd become involved in the scene in some way and I didn't expect to become a musician Iommi Iommi was also shaped by his tough upbringing in Aston. Of the neighbourhood where he lived, he says: 'It was rough and gang infested. You had to be careful walking round the streets because you'd get beaten up if you were in the wrong area. 'I started doing martial arts — judo and karate — purely to protect myself,' he continues. 'I went training three or four times a week. 'I thought that I'd become involved in the scene in some way and I didn't expect to become a musician.' Iommi recalls having 'a dream of being on a stage, look-ing out, I always thought it was to do with martial arts but, of course, it wasn't. I later realised it was about being on stage playing guitar'. At 17, he had a horrific industrial accident which would have a profound effect on Black Sabbath's signature heavy guitar sound. While operating a guillotine press in a sheet-metal factory, Iommi lost the tips of the middle and ring fingers on his right hand. He says: 'I went to the hospital and they said, 'You might as well forget playing the guitar'. 'I just couldn't accept that attitude so I made my own fingertips with thimbles. I had to come up with a totally different way of playing. 'I also worked on the guitar all the time. I had it in bits and put it back together, trying to make it more comfortable to play. 'Eventually, that extended to experimenting with amplifiers, making a sound that would be more full.' By the time Sabbath, originally known as Earth, got together in 1968, Iommi was on a mission to make a success of it despite financial hardships. 5 Black Sabbath's Top Of The Pops performance Credit: supplied 'Oh God, I drove the bloody van!' he exclaims. 'Unloaded the gear, played, drove back. 'We were hard up. We might make 15 quid and, on our way home, stop off and spend it all at a fish and chip shop. 'But it was great because we started from nothing and we went through the whole thing together. 'We became glued to each other, we lived in each other's pockets, and it really made us a band.' Iommi continues: 'The name was Geezer's idea after he watched a Boris Karloff film called Black Sabbath. It was appropriate for our music and it stuck. 'When we were Earth, we got misbooked because they thought we were a pop band. We absolutely died a death!' An all-important step for Sabbath, like any up-and- coming act, was getting a record deal. Iommi remembers how it happened: 'We used to play at a club in Birmingham where Jim Simpson, who became our first manager, would get people to come down and see us. 'Of course 99 per cent of them said 'no' and one per cent said 'yes'. We were playing something different. In those days, it was all soul, not our kind of music.' The self-titled debut album contains the song Black Sabbath which bears Iommi's first great riff. He regards it as their breakthrough moment. 'That track hit home,' he says. 'It was so different and we knew straight away, 'That's it, that's what we want to do, that's the benchmark'.' 'Screaming girls' Iommi took on a lot of the responsibility at the time, getting the others out of bed and into the studio by 9am. 'Everybody needs somebody to direct them,' he affirms. 'Otherwise it turns into chaos.' That first album, now regarded as a trailblazing triumph, landed to lukewarm reviews but it didn't deter Iommi and his bandmates. I always remember somebody — I won't mention his name — came to review us. He left unknown to us and we DIDN'T play, but he still reviewed the show. What does that tell you? Iommi 'Of course, you never want a bad review but you have to believe in what you do,' he says. 'If we did get a reasonably good review, we'd bloody faint, but we never lost that belief and that's what made us stronger. 'I always remember somebody — I won't mention his name — came to review us. He left unknown to us and we DIDN'T play, but he still reviewed the show. What does that tell you?' Next came the album which propelled Sabbath to the stratosphere, Paranoid, with its iconic three-minute adrenaline rush of a title track. Iommi says: 'We never went to the States with the first album but Paranoid opened up America for us.' And yet the song itself was almost an afterthought, as he explains. 'When we were finishing the album, we went out to get something to eat. 'The producer came out and said to me, 'We need another track. We haven't got enough tracks'. So I had to come up with Paranoid. I waited for the others to come back and played it to them. 'Geezer wrote some lyrics, the guys learnt the song and we recorded it there and then. 'It was supposed to be filler but it was the one that took off — and we ended up on Top Of The Pops.' Appearing on the UK's premier pop showcase went against everything Sabbath stood for in their quest 'to be an album band taken seriously for our music'. Iommi says: 'It was funny. You've got people like Cilla Black and then us. Bloody odd combination, it was! 'And the last thing we wanted to do was attract screaming girls.' After Paranoid, Sabbath were on a roll, producing a string of high-octane, high-quality albums — Master Of Reality (1971), Vol.4 (1972), Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973) and Sabotage (1975). 'For each album, we tried different things,' says Iommi. 'On Master Of Reality, I started tuning down a bit to get an even heavier sound. 5 Appearing on the UK's premier pop showcase went against everything Sabbath stood for in their quest 'to be an album band taken seriously for their music' Credit: supplied 'The whole vibe on Vol. 4 was great. We went to Los Angeles where John du Pont was unfortunate enough to rent us his house. 'It was a fantastic place with a ballroom, swimming pools and, God, did we have some fun.' It was only after ten years in the business that the wheels started to fall off for Sabbath, resulting in Ozzy's exit. 'Obviously, drugs were involved,' says Iommi. 'It got to a stage where Ozzy had lost interest. He'd go missing for a couple of days in Los Angeles — things like that. 'I was nominated to go to the record company and make all the excuses. We were coming up with riffs but it just wasn't going anywhere. 'It got to a point where I had to say, 'Look, we'll have to replace Ozzy or break up'. At the time, it was best for both of us and Ozzy went off and did his own thing.' Sabbath regrouped with Ronnie James Dio taking over on lead vocals, the first of a succession of singers. Then, in the late Nineties, the original Sabbath reformed and toured until 2005. Minus drummer Ward, they got back together for the Rick Rubin-produced 13 (released in 2013) and played live again until 2017. Now, eight years on, Sabbath are making their last stand. They've all had well-documented health issues but Iommi and Ozzy see the funny side. Ozzy even called himself 'Iron Man' after surgeons inserted bolts in his neck following a fall at his home in the outskirts of Los Angeles 'He should be called the Six Million Dollar Man,' laughs Iommi. 'I hear from him every few days and we complain to each other. 'We've all had problems so it's quite an achievement for us to get on stage again after so many years. 'We'll do the gig – then we'll probably keel over!'
The Irish Sun
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
It all started when Bill and I went round to Ozzy's house looking for a singer, says Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi
FOR 57 years, Tony Iommi has been Black Sabbath's keeper of the flame. He is 'Master Of The Riffs' — some say he invented heavy metal — and he is the only band member to stay the course. 5 Heavy metal Black Sabbath in 1970, pictured Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, Bill Ward and Ozzy Osbourne Credit: Alamy 5 'Master of the riffs' Iommi Credit: Getty 'Everybody else has come and gone and come back,' the guitarist tells me in his soft Brummie tones. 'I've been the constant one.' Talking to the affable Iommi, 77, it's hard to imagine that he's responsible for some of rock's darkest, dirtiest, most bone-crunching riffs. Tomorrow, he and the rest of the original line-up face It's our last chance to hear Paranoid, War Pigs and Iron Man performed live by the four musicians who created them. READ MORE ON BLACK SABBATH No doubt all eyes will be on the singer, the 'Prince Of Darkness' himself. Despite complaining to me recently that he has enough health issues 'to fill a medical dictionary', Ozzy Osbourne is set to give his hometown of Birmingham a hellraising last hurrah. But let's not forget that the Back To The Beginning extravaganza at Sabbath are held in highest esteem by the bands that followed in their wake, hence an incredible supporting cast. Most read in Music With Rage Against The Machine's Tom Morello serving as musical director, there's a blizzard of metal titans paying their dues. Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Alice In Chains, Sammy, Hagar, Steven Tyler (Aerosmith), Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins), Duff McKagan and Slash (Guns N' Roses), Fred Durst (Limp Bizkit) — the list goes on. Ozzy Osbourne announces final Black Sabbath gig as band reunite for 'greatest heavy metal show ever' with HUGE line up 'It's a great honour,' says Iommi. 'I'm so proud of everyone who has come forward to support Sabbath. 'They've come from everywhere to be a part of something. This is a real one-off.' Iommi is particularly chuffed that his old mucker Ward, who he first met at Birchfield Road School, is back in the Sabbath fold for the first time since 2005. At school, I didn't even know that Ozzy could sing Iommi 'Bill and I were in a couple of bands before Sabbath,' he says, 'and that's when we went round to Ozzy's house looking for a singer. It was how it all started.' Seeing that the gig is called Back To The Beginning, I ask Iommi to sift through the mists of time to describe how the band came together. He begins by giving me his first impressions of Ozzy before moving on to Geezer. 'At school, I didn't even know that Ozzy could sing,' he says. 'It was a racket at first, I must say, but after we'd been playing for a while, he got really good.' As for the singer's madcap behaviour, Iommi adds: 'He got more loony as we went on. In the early days, we'd be on this little stage at a club or somewhere and we had this thing between us. 'If I broke a string, I'd shout to Ozzy, 'Organise a raffle, organise a raffle!' which meant, 'Talk to the audience'. 'He wasn't very good at that in the early days, he didn't know what to say. 'But he got more and more confident and, eventually, he became like he is — very out front.' Iommi moves on to Geezer and says: 'Before Sabbath, Bill and I used to play these all-nighters at a place in Birmingham. 'I always remember seeing Geezer there, crawling up walls because of the drugs they were on in those days. 'I made my fingertips' 'Me and Bill used to think, 'Blimey, he's mad, that guy'. Of course, when we got together with him, we realised he was very, very sensible. 'Geezer had never played bass before — he was a guitar player — but it was amazing how quickly he picked it up.' So what about Iommi himself? 'Originally, I wanted to play drums,' he replies, 'but because of where we lived with my parents, you couldn't get a drum kit in the house. It was so small. 'My mother bought me a guitar, one of these cheap £20 ones from a catalogue, and I sat in my room learning to play. I really enjoyed it.' Then he adds with a self-deprecating chuckle: 'And I'm still trying to learn to play the guitar!' This was the early Sixties when one band in particular caught Iommi's ear — The Shadows led by his guitar hero Hank Marvin. 5 The band now, from left Bill, Geezer, Ozzy and Tony ahead of their last gig Credit: Ross Halfin 'I used to listen to the Top 20 on my little radio,' he says. 'The Shadows really inspired me because I loved their sound and style. 'They were an instrumental band and it was great because I had something to learn and to relate to. Then I could go off and do my own thing.' I thought that I'd become involved in the scene in some way and I didn't expect to become a musician Iommi Iommi was also shaped by his tough upbringing in Aston. Of the neighbourhood where he lived, he says: 'It was rough and gang infested. You had to be careful walking round the streets because you'd get beaten up if you were in the wrong area. 'I started doing martial arts — judo and karate — purely to protect myself,' he continues. 'I went training three or four times a week. 'I thought that I'd become involved in the scene in some way and I didn't expect to become a musician.' Iommi recalls having 'a dream of being on a stage, look-ing out, I always thought it was to do with martial arts but, of course, it wasn't. I later realised it was about being on stage playing guitar'. At 17, he had a horrific industrial accident which would have a profound effect on Black Sabbath's signature heavy guitar sound. While operating a guillotine press in a sheet-metal factory, Iommi lost the tips of the middle and ring fingers on his right hand. He says: 'I went to the hospital and they said, 'You might as well forget playing the guitar'. 'I just couldn't accept that attitude so I made my own fingertips with thimbles. I had to come up with a totally different way of playing. 'I also worked on the guitar all the time. I had it in bits and put it back together, trying to make it more comfortable to play. 'Eventually, that extended to experimenting with amplifiers, making a sound that would be more full.' By the time Sabbath, originally known as Earth, got together in 1968, Iommi was on a mission to make a success of it despite financial hardships. 5 Black Sabbath's Top Of The Pops performance Credit: supplied 'Oh God, I drove the bloody van!' he exclaims. 'Unloaded the gear, played, drove back. 'We were hard up. We might make 15 quid and, on our way home, stop off and spend it all at a fish and chip shop. 'But it was great because we started from nothing and we went through the whole thing together. 'We became glued to each other, we lived in each other's pockets, and it really made us a band.' Iommi continues: 'The name was Geezer's idea after he watched a Boris Karloff film called Black Sabbath. It was appropriate for our music and it stuck. 'When we were Earth, we got misbooked because they thought we were a pop band. We absolutely died a death!' An all-important step for Sabbath, like any up-and- coming act, was getting a record deal. Iommi remembers how it happened: 'We used to play at a club in Birmingham where Jim Simpson, who became our first manager, would get people to come down and see us. 'Of course 99 per cent of them said 'no' and one per cent said 'yes'. We were playing something different. In those days, it was all soul, not our kind of music.' The self-titled debut album contains the song Black Sabbath which bears Iommi's first great riff. He regards it as their breakthrough moment. 'That track hit home,' he says. 'It was so different and we knew straight away, 'That's it, that's what we want to do, that's the benchmark'.' 'Screaming girls' Iommi took on a lot of the responsibility at the time, getting the others out of bed and into the studio by 9am. 'Everybody needs somebody to direct them,' he affirms. 'Otherwise it turns into chaos.' That first album, now regarded as a trailblazing triumph, landed to lukewarm reviews but it didn't deter Iommi and his bandmates. I always remember somebody — I won't mention his name — came to review us. He left unknown to us and we DIDN'T play, but he still reviewed the show. What does that tell you? Iommi 'Of course, you never want a bad review but you have to believe in what you do,' he says. 'If we did get a reasonably good review, we'd bloody faint, but we never lost that belief and that's what made us stronger. 'I always remember somebody — I won't mention his name — came to review us. He left unknown to us and we DIDN'T play, but he still reviewed the show. What does that tell you?' Next came the album which propelled Sabbath to the stratosphere, Paranoid, with its iconic three-minute adrenaline rush of a title track. Iommi says: 'We never went to the States with the first album but Paranoid opened up America for us.' And yet the song itself was almost an afterthought, as he explains. 'When we were finishing the album, we went out to get something to eat. 'The producer came out and said to me, 'We need another track. We haven't got enough tracks'. So I had to come up with Paranoid. I waited for the others to come back and played it to them. 'Geezer wrote some lyrics, the guys learnt the song and we recorded it there and then. 'It was supposed to be filler but it was the one that took off — and we ended up on Appearing on the UK's premier pop showcase went against everything Sabbath stood for in their quest 'to be an album band taken seriously for our music'. Iommi says: 'It was funny. You've got people like 'And the last thing we wanted to do was attract screaming girls.' After Paranoid, Sabbath were on a roll, producing a string of high-octane, high-quality albums — Master Of Reality (1971), Vol.4 (1972), Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973) and Sabotage (1975). 'For each album, we tried different things,' says Iommi. 'On Master Of Reality, I started tuning down a bit to get an even heavier sound. 5 Appearing on the UK's premier pop showcase went against everything Sabbath stood for in their quest 'to be an album band taken seriously for their music' Credit: supplied 'The whole vibe on Vol. 4 was great. We went to Los Angeles where John du Pont was unfortunate enough to rent us his house. 'It was a fantastic place with a ballroom, swimming pools and, God, did we have some fun.' It was only after ten years in the business that the wheels started to fall off for Sabbath, resulting in Ozzy's exit. 'Obviously, drugs were involved,' says Iommi. 'It got to a stage where Ozzy had lost interest. He'd go missing for a couple of days in Los Angeles — things like that. 'I was nominated to go to the record company and make all the excuses. We were coming up with riffs but it just wasn't going anywhere. 'It got to a point where I had to say, 'Look, we'll have to replace Ozzy or break up'. At the time, it was best for both of us and Ozzy went off and did his own thing.' Sabbath regrouped with Ronnie James Dio taking over on lead vocals, the first of a succession of singers. Then, in the late Nineties, the original Sabbath reformed and toured until 2005. Minus drummer Ward, they got back together for the Rick Rubin-produced 13 (released in 2013) and played live again until 2017. Now, eight years on, Sabbath are making their last stand. They've all had well-documented health issues but Iommi and Ozzy see the funny side. Ozzy even called himself 'Iron Man' after surgeons inserted bolts in his neck following a fall at his home in the outskirts of Los Angeles 'He should be called the Six Million Dollar Man,' laughs Iommi. 'I hear from him every few days and we complain to each other. 'We've all had problems so it's quite an achievement for us to get on stage again after so many years. 'We'll do the gig – then we'll probably keel over!'
