Stories

Tony Iommi

Fresh on the heels of Julie Walters accepting the offer of a star, the Broad Street Business Improvement District has announced that Heaven and Hell guitarist, founding member of Black Sabbath, Grammy Award winner and king of heavy metal Tony Iommi will be honoured on the Broad Street Walk of Stars on Sunday 23rd November 2008.

Live music

There will be an afternoon of live music from local bands on stage in Centenary Square and Tony Iommi will have his star presented to him at 6.30pm.

Born in Aston, Birmingham, guitarist and songwriter Tony is best known as the founding member of pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath. Iommi is recognized as one of the most important and influential guitarists in rock music and is widely considered to be the man who invented the heavy metal riff.

Iommi has released over 30 albums with Black Sabbath, two solo albums, has sold over 80 million copies and is the recipient of 20 platinum and 14 gold albums. Black Sabbath were inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in November 2005, and in March 2006 into New York’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

With Black Sabbath

Birmingham honours Iommi

Currently working on a new studio album with Heaven and Hell in America, Tony is thrilled to return home to accept his Walk of Star honour; "It's great – it’s really an honour – I'm really proud of it … I was shocked!  It’s so nice to have things like that! I've got one out in LA but I'm not from LA – It’s so nice being recognised in your home town."

Mike Olley, Broad Street Manager, said "We are delighted to be welcoming Tony onto the Broad Street Walk of Star's. The contribution he has made to rock music deserves to be honoured and we are excited he has agreed to give us the opportunity to do so."