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Tony Iommi

Tony Iommi is Black Sabbath’s founding guitarist, a Birmingham musician whose heavy riffs helped shape metal and whose solo work continues with From the Dark.

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Tony’s happenings, collected from public sources, plus his backstory and Starbook, where fans write.

Known for

Overview

From: Aston, Birmingham, England
Born: 19 February 1948
Work: Guitarist, songwriter and producer
Breakout: Black Sabbath and Paranoid, both released in 1970

Mini bio

How it started.

Tony grew up in Aston, Birmingham, and learned on an inexpensive acoustic guitar before getting a left-handed electric. At 17, a factory accident cost him fingertips on his fretting hand. Hearing Django Reinhardt helped him find a way forward: homemade fingertips, lighter strings and an adapted technique.

The Sabbath sound.

He formed a band with Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward in 1968. They moved from blues toward darker songs and became Black Sabbath. Their debut and Paranoid broke through in 1970. Tony’s riffs became a foundation of heavy metal.

New voices, same guitarist.

His partnership with Ronnie James Dio produced Heaven and Hell and Mob Rules. They later reunited as Heaven & Hell, releasing The Devil You Know in 2009. Tony also made solo records, including the guest-filled Iommi in 2000 and Fused with Glenn Hughes in 2005.

Still writing.

Black Sabbath returned with 13 in 2013, topping the UK and US charts. After the original band’s final reunion in Birmingham in 2025, Tony continued with From the Dark, featuring Jørn Lande on vocals.

Creditschronological, newest first

2026From the DarkGuitarist, co-writer and co-producer
2009The Devil You KnowGuitarist, Heaven & Hell
2005FusedGuitarist, co-writer and additional producer
1980Heaven and HellGuitarist, Black Sabbath
1970ParanoidGuitarist, Black Sabbath
1970Black SabbathGuitarist, Black Sabbath

Awards

Quotes

I always believed in what we were doing.Tony Iommi, official biography by Hugh Gilmour

Reflecting on continuing Black Sabbath through its changing lineups.

Trivia

His early guitar heroes included Hank Marvin and Eric Clapton.
He used banjo strings when suitably light guitar strings were hard to find.
Seventh Star began as a solo project before the record company released it under Black Sabbath’s name.
His first solo album featured guests including Brian May, Dave Grohl and Ozzy Osbourne.