Tony Iommi

This was the first time Iommi played with future Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward. Read Less

Ward was replaced by Mike Bordin and then Vinny Appice.

Rob Halford, vocalist for Judas Priest, when filling in for Ozzy Osbourne during an August 2004 concert in Philadelphia, introduced Tony Iommi to the audience as "The man who invented the heavy metal riff".

On 11/11/11, the original band members announced that they were reuniting and recording a new album. The band are scheduled to play at Download Festival in 2012, followed by a world tour. Read Less

The son of first generation British Italians, Tony Iommi originally wanted to play the drums, but due to the noise they produce he picked up the guitar as a teenager, after being inspired by the likes of Hank Marvin and The Shadows. He plays guitar left-handed. In an industrial accident at the age of 17 on his last day of work in a sheet metal factory, he lost the tips of the middle and ring finger of his right hand.

After the injury Iommi contemplated abandoning the guitar. However, his manager encouraged him to pursue music by playing a recording of famous jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt. As Iommi would later write:

My friend said, "Listen to this guy play," and I went, "No way! Listening to someone play the guitar is the very last thing I want to do right now!" But he kept insisting and he ended up playing the record for me. I told him I thought it was really good and then he said, "You know, the guy's only playing with two fingers on his fretboard hand because of an injury he sustained in a terrible fire." I was totally knocked back by this revelation and was so impressed by what I had just heard that I suddenly became inspired to start trying to play again. Read Less