Tony Iommi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tony Iommi
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Iommi performing with Heaven & Hell in 2009
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Anthony Frank Iommi Jr.
19 February 1948 Handsworth, Birmingham, England
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| Children | 2 |
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| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1964–present |
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Anthony Frank Iommi Jr. (born 19 February 1948) is a famous English musician. He helped start the heavy metal band Black Sabbath. He was the guitarist, leader, and main songwriter for the band for over 50 years. Many people see him as one of the creators of heavy metal music. He has inspired many types of metal music, especially doom metal. Rolling Stone magazine ranked Iommi as one of the greatest guitarists of all time in 2023.
When he was a teenager, Iommi had an accident at a factory. He lost the tips of two fingers on his right hand. This accident led to his unique guitar playing style. He briefly joined the band Jethro Tull in 1968. However, he soon returned to Black Sabbath. In 2000, he released his first solo album, Iommi. He later formed the band Heaven & Hell. In 2011, Iommi wrote his autobiography called Iron Man: My Journey Through Heaven and Hell with Black Sabbath.
Contents
Tony Iommi's Early Life
Iommi was born in Birmingham, England. He is the only child of parents who moved from Italy. His mother's family owned vineyards in Italy. His family was Catholic, but they did not go to church often. Their home in Aston also had a shop. His mother ran the shop, and his father was a carpenter.
Iommi grew up in Handsworth, Birmingham. He went to Birchfield Road School. His future bandmate, Ozzy Osbourne, also went to the same school. When Iommi was about eight or nine, he fell and cut his upper lip. He was called "Scarface" because of this. He later grew his famous mustache to cover the scar.
Around age 10, Iommi started working out. He learned judo, karate, and boxing. He wanted to protect himself from local groups. He thought he might become a bouncer in a nightclub. Iommi first wanted to play the drums. But because of the noise, he chose the guitar as a teenager. He was inspired by guitarists like Hank Marvin. He has always played the guitar left-handed. After school, Iommi worked as a plumber and then in a factory.
His Factory Accident
When he was 17, Iommi had an accident at a metal factory. It was his last day of work there. He lost the tips of his middle and ring fingers on his right hand. This is the hand he uses on the guitar fretboard since he plays left-handed. Doctors told him he might never play guitar again.
Iommi felt very sad, but he did not give up. His factory boss played him music by Django Reinhardt. Reinhardt was a famous jazz guitarist who played with only two fingers. This inspired Iommi to try playing again. He realized that if Reinhardt could do it, so could he.
Playing with his injured fingers was painful. Iommi made special thimbles for his fingers. He made them from a plastic bottle and leather. These thimbles helped him play. But he could not feel the strings well. He also found it hard to bend strings. So, he started using lighter guitar strings. He even used banjo strings at first.
Later, he also started tuning his guitar to lower pitches. This made the strings looser and easier to bend. It also helped create a "bigger, heavier sound." This unique sound became a big part of Black Sabbath's music.
In 2016, Iommi said losing his fingertips was his biggest regret. But he also said it helped him create a new kind of music. He learned to live with it and kept playing.
Tony Iommi's Music Career
Iommi played in several blues/rock bands before Black Sabbath. One of his first bands was the Rockin' Chevrolets in 1964. He later joined The Birds And Bees. From 1966 to 1967, Iommi played in a band called the Rest. There, he met Bill Ward, who became Black Sabbath's drummer.
From January to July 1968, Iommi was the guitarist in Mythology. Bill Ward joined a month later. After Mythology broke up, Iommi and Ward looked for new band members. They found vocalist Ozzy Osbourne and bassist Geezer Butler. They formed a six-piece band called the Polka Tulk Blues Band. After two shows, they shortened the name to Polka Tulk.
Earth and Jethro Tull
In September 1968, the band changed its name to Earth. That same month, Iommi briefly left to join Jethro Tull. He only performed with them twice. He then rejoined Earth in November 1968.
Iommi learned a lot from Ian Anderson, Jethro Tull's vocalist. He learned the importance of hard work and rehearsal. When he returned to Earth, he made sure everyone rehearsed early each morning. This helped the band become more organized.
Black Sabbath: The Start of Metal
In August 1969, Earth changed its name to Black Sabbath. This was because another band was also called Earth. Iommi's factory accident greatly affected Black Sabbath's sound. He tuned his guitar down, which lowered string tension. This made it easier on his injured fingers. Geezer Butler also tuned his bass down to match Iommi.
Black Sabbath was one of the first bands to use lower tunings. This technique became a key part of heavy metal music. Iommi combined blues-like guitar solos with dark, minor-key riffs. He used a special effect pedal and a Gibson SG guitar. This created a powerful, distorted sound.
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By the late 1970s, Black Sabbath faced challenges. Their music style seemed old-fashioned to some. In 1979, Iommi and Butler decided to make a change. They replaced Ozzy Osbourne with Ronnie James Dio, a new vocalist. With Dio, Black Sabbath released Heaven and Hell. This album updated their sound for the 1980s.
During the 1980 tour, Bill Ward left the band. He was replaced by Vinny Appice. Dio later left to start his own solo career. Black Sabbath then had many different singers over the next decade. These included Ian Gillan and Glenn Hughes. In 1984, Geezer Butler also left. Iommi then recorded his first solo album, Seventh Star. It featured Glenn Hughes on vocals.
In 1992, Iommi performed at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert. He played with the remaining members of Queen. Geezer Butler also returned to Sabbath that year. The original Black Sabbath lineup reunited for tours in 1997. Bill Ward played at the first two shows. However, he was not present for later tours due to health issues.
On 11 November 2011, Black Sabbath announced they would reunite. They planned to record a new album. Bill Ward did not join, and Brad Wilk played drums instead. The new album, 13, came out in June 2013. The band finished their final tour, called The End Tour, in early 2017.
In 2022, Iommi played guitar on two songs for Ozzy Osbourne's album Patient Number 9. On 8 August 2022, Iommi reunited with Osbourne to play at the closing ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. They played "Iron Man" and "Paranoid." Iommi also played at the opening ceremony on 28 July 2022.
In February 2023, "Degradation Rules," a song Iommi played on for Ozzy Osbourne, won a Grammy Award. Iommi also worked with the Birmingham's Royal Ballet on Black Sabbath – The Ballet. This ballet used music from early Black Sabbath albums. In November 2023, a TV show called Greatest Guitar Riffs featured Iommi. In 2024, Iommi released an instrumental song called "Deified."
Solo Adventures and Collaborations
In 2000, Iommi released his first solo album, Iommi. It featured many guest singers, including Ozzy Osbourne. In 2004, his second solo album, The 1996 DEP Sessions, was released. This album was recorded in 1996 but not released until later. Glenn Hughes sang on this album. Iommi worked with Hughes again on his third solo album, Fused, released on 12 July 2005.
Iommi has also scored music for horror films. In 2009, Iommi and Ian Gillan received high honors from Armenia. This was for their help after the Spitak earthquake. They formed a supergroup called WhoCares. They released a song to help build a music school in Armenia.
In 2020, Iommi appeared on a song by Candlemass. This song received a Grammy nomination. In November 2021, Iommi launched a perfume with an Italian brand. He also created his first instrumental song, "Scent of Dark," for it.
Heaven & Hell
In October 2006, Iommi toured with Ronnie James Dio, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward. They performed under the name Heaven & Hell. Bill Ward decided not to join, and Vinny Appice replaced him. They released an album called The Dio Years in 2007. It had older songs with Dio and three new ones.
The band toured America in April 2007. Their show at the New York Radio City Music Hall was released as a live DVD and CD. In 2008, they toured with other metal bands. Their only studio album, The Devil You Know, was released on 28 April 2009.
In November 2008, Iommi received a star on the Birmingham Walk of Stars. Dio passed away in May 2010. On 14 June 2010, Iommi announced that Heaven & Hell would perform one last time. This was a tribute to Ronnie James Dio at the High Voltage Festival in London.
Eurovision Song Contest
Iommi wrote the song "Lonely Planet". The band Dorians sang it for Armenia in the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest.
Tony Iommi's Personal Life
Iommi bought his first house in Stafford, England, in 1972. He also bought a house next door for his parents. Iommi has been married four times. In 1973, he married Susan Snowden. Their marriage lasted three years.
In 1980, Iommi married Melinda Diaz. They had a daughter, Toni-Marie Iommi, in 1983. Toni-Marie later became a singer. Iommi and Melinda divorced in the mid-1980s. When Toni-Marie was 12, Iommi gained custody of her. Toni-Marie has said her father helped her trust people again. In 2005, Iommi married Maria Sjöholm. They met around 1998. Maria moved to England in 1999. They married quietly in 2005.
On 19 November 2013, Iommi received an Honorary Doctorate of Arts degree from Coventry University. This was for his contributions to music. He is also a visiting professor of music there.
Before their final concert, Iommi and the other original Black Sabbath members were made Freemen of the City of Birmingham. Iommi has dual citizenship for both Britain and Italy.
Health
In early 2012, Iommi was diagnosed with an early stage of lymphoma. He received successful treatment for it. Black Sabbath's 2013 tour dates were planned so Iommi could return to the UK for his treatment. In January 2014, Iommi announced he would finish his regular treatment that year. A few months later, Black Sabbath announced their final tour due to Iommi's health. As of August 2016, Tony Iommi announced his cancer was in remission.
In December 2016, Iommi shared that he would have an operation to remove a lump from his throat. In early 2017, he explained that the lump was not cancerous.
Beliefs
Iommi said in 2016 that he believes in God. He was raised Catholic but has not attended church since childhood. In January 2017, a song Iommi wrote called "How Good It Is" was performed at Birmingham Cathedral. The lyrics were inspired by a psalm. Iommi clarified that the song was not about following a specific religion. He said he believes in God but does not feel he has to go to church regularly.
Tony Iommi's Legacy and Influence
Iommi is seen as one of the greatest rock guitarists ever. In 2005, Metal Hammer magazine called him number 1 on their "Riff Lords" list. They praised his unique and powerful guitar style. In 2011, Rolling Stone magazine ranked him number 25 on their list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time." Guitar World magazine readers ranked him the seventh-greatest rock guitarist. The editors of the same magazine called him the greatest heavy metal guitarist.
Iommi has won many awards. These include three Grammy Awards.
Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull said Iommi turned his hand injury into something special. He became a guitar legend. Gene Simmons of Kiss called him "the man who came up with the riffs that launched an army of guitar players." Ozzy Osbourne called him "the master of the metal riff."
Many people credit Iommi with creating heavy metal music. Brian May of Queen calls him "the true father of heavy metal." Eddie Van Halen said that "without Tony, heavy metal wouldn't exist." James Hetfield of Metallica called him "the king of the heavy riff." Rob Halford of Judas Priest introduced Iommi as "the man who invented the heavy metal riff."
Iommi is also seen as a pioneer for other music styles. He is called the "godfather of stoner rock." Many believe that grunge, goth, thrash, industrial, death, and doom music would not exist without him. Bands like Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Pearl Jam were influenced by Black Sabbath. Almost every metal band can trace its roots back to Iommi's music.
Many famous musicians say Iommi influenced their playing. These include Slash from Guns N' Roses, Scott Ian from Anthrax, and Billy Corgan from the Smashing Pumpkins.
Tony Iommi's Equipment
Iommi's powerful sound came partly from his accident. His unique sound was a result of tuning his guitar down. He also played very loudly. He said this was because they wanted people to stop talking over their music.
Guitars
- Jaydee Custom SGs: These guitars were built for him in Birmingham. He used them for recording and as main guitars.
- Gibson SG, also known as "Monkey": This 1965 Gibson SG Special became his main guitar. It is now on display at the New York City Hard Rock Cafe.
- Gibson Custom Shop SG: Gibson built this guitar for Iommi in 1997. It was a prototype for his signature model.
- Epiphone P94 Iommi SG: This is an Epiphone SG signature model.
- Gibson SG Standard: A regular left-handed SG with extra frets. It has his signature pick-up. Iommi was the first guitarist to have a signature pick-up from Gibson.
- Fender Stratocaster: Iommi used a white Fender Stratocaster early on. He now owns two modified Stratocasters.
- St. Moritz Tony Iommi Custom SG: This guitar is a copy of his "Monkey" SG. He used it for the 13 album and tour.
- BC Rich Ironbird: This guitar was custom-built for Iommi. It has special features like cross inlays.
- Gibson Barney Kessel: A rare left-handed jazz guitar model.
- Epiphone Riviera 12 string: A right-handed guitar that was changed to be left-handed for Iommi.
- LaBella custom gauge strings: Special guitar strings made for him.
- Shure Wireless systems: Used for playing without cables.
- Gibson Tony Iommi Signature Pick Up: This special guitar pick-up has been available for over 20 years.
Effects
- Boss chorus pedal: Adds a swirling sound.
- Boss octave pedal: Makes the guitar sound higher or lower.
- Dallas Rangemaster Treble Booster: Makes the guitar sound brighter.
- Drawmer LX22 compressor: Helps control the guitar's volume.
- Korg DL8000R multi-tap delay: Creates echo effects.
- Korg SDD1000 rackmount delay: Another delay effect.
- Peavey Addverb III: Adds reverb and other effects.
- Tycobrahe wah pedal: Creates a "wah" sound.
Amplifiers
- Laney TI100 Tony Iommi Signature: His main amplifier now.
- Laney GH 100 TI Tony Iommi Signature amplifiers: His main amp from 1993 to early 2012.
- ENGL Powerball Amplifiers: Used only in 2009.
- Laney 4×12 cabinets: Speaker cabinets for his amps.
- Various Marshall amplifiers: Used from the 1980s to 1993.
- Laney Supergroup Heads: His main amplifier from 1968 to 1979.
- Orange 1972 w/ 4x12 cab: Used for music videos.
- Mesa Boogie Mark series heads: Used from the mid-1980s to early 1990s.
- Vox AC30 Top Boost: Used for recording the Paranoid album.
Discography
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Studio albums:
Black Sabbath |
with Heaven & HellWhoCaresStudio album:
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See also
In Spanish: Tony Iommi para niños
