Tony Iommi | |
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 Iommi performing with Heaven & Hell in 2009 | |
| Born | Anthony Frank Iommi Jr. 19 February 1948 Birmingham, England |
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| Occupation | Musician |
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| Children | 1 |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1964–present |
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| Formerly of | |
| Website | iommi |
Anthony Frank Iommi Jr.[1] (born 19 February 1948)[2] is an English musician. He co-founded the pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath, and was the band's guitarist, leader, primary composer, and sole continuous member for over five decades. He is considered one of the pioneers of heavy metal music and is responsible for inspiring numerous subgenres of metal, most notably doom metal. Iommi was ranked number 13 on Rolling Stone's 2023 list of the “250 Greatest Guitarists of all Time.[3]
On his last day of work in a sheet metal factory, as a teenager, Iommi lost the tips of the middle and ring fingers of his right hand in an accident, an event which crucially impacted his playing style. He briefly left Black Sabbath (then known as Earth) in 1968 to join Jethro Tull, but did not record any material with the band, and subsequently returned to Black Sabbath in 1969. In 2000, he released his first solo album Iommi, followed by 2005's Fused, which featured his former bandmate Glenn Hughes. After releasing Fused, he formed Heaven & Hell, which disbanded shortly after the death of Ronnie James Dio in 2010 (they toured on Black Sabbath songs when Dio was in the band but changed the name for legal reasons).
In 2011, Iommi published his autobiography, entitled Iron Man: My Journey Through Heaven and Hell with Black Sabbath.
- ^ Black Sabbath - Uncensored On the Record. Coda Books Ltd. ISBN 978-1-908538-85-7.
- ^ "Biography". Tony Iommi. 2015.
- ^ "The 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". Rolling Stone. 13 October 2023. Retrieved 14 October 2023.