guitarist Tony Iommi was born in Birmingham 19 February 1948, and then just turned 63 years old.
member of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath , is the only component that characterizes the band's entire career. Prominent figure in the hard rock, has been mentioned by many guitarists as significant source of inspiration for their compositions. In addition to guitar, Iommi is adept with the piano, synthesizer and flute.
son of Italian immigrants, Tony began to play guitar listening to mostly jazz and blues. He grew up with the music of the Shadows , whose guitarist, Hank Marvin , was his model of inspiration. During the school year got to know the future singer Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne . The nickname "Ozzy" is derived from school experiences of the future singer, who stutter (in addition to being affected by a severe form of dyslexia), was often mocked within the school environment, a more persistent student Iommi was just one of the most hated by Osbourne, and even came to fight, and never would have expected to find himself in the same group, after so long, and after the sad events of the school. After finishing his studies, Tony began working in a mechanical workshop. After being selected as a temporary replacement in Jethro Tull was convinced to have the opportunity to become a professional musician, but during one of his last shifts an accident with the amputated at the phalanges of the upper middle and ring fingers of his right hand. Admitted to hospital, was discharged after a month of fruitless attempts to reattach amputated parts and fell into a deep depression and decided to abandon the guitar.
One day, however, listened to the music of Django Reinhardt , a Belgian guitarist of Roma origin who was crippled in a hand because of an accident (as his caravan caught fire while he was inside): the His left hand was badly burned allowing him to move only the index and middle, while ring and little fingers were permanently atrophied. Nonetheless, Reinhardt did not abandon his music and his experience in the Tony encouraged to start playing, using the application of certain implants, made by himself and melting the plastic shaping of some bottles of liquid detergent caps "Fairy". Music Iommi
activity begins in 1964, since a blues band called "The Rockin 'Chevrolets . Thus began performing live in order to enter within the music and leave work as a laborer.
In 1966 enters the " The Rest" and " Mythology", along with the drummer and his schoolmate Bill Ward. The two, after leaving the group, meet Ozzy Osbourne through an ad placed by the singer in a record store. They joined the guitarist Geezer Butler (who will play from now on the bottom). The group then becomes a sextet, the "Polka Tulk Blues Band ", with the addition of second guitarist Jimmy Phillips and saxophonist Alan "Aker" Clarke.
Phillips and Clarke later abandoned, and the remainder will shorten named "Polka Tulk ", later changed to "Earth " but, due to same name as another band, finally turned in Black Sabbath.
With the band, Tony composed historical album of heavy metal, as Black Sabbath, Paranoid , Master of Reality and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath .
After the success of the 70s, the historical formation of the band begins to unravel after the release of Ozzy Osbourne, undergoing numerous line up changes, with only Iommi to remain a permanent member. Over the years, the formation of Black Sabbath sees the alternation of major artists such as Ronnie James Dio, Ian Gillan , Tony Martin, Cozy Powell , Neil Murray and many others.
1986's Seventh Star, with former Deep Purple Glenn Hughes in the role of singer. In the beginning was to be an Iommi solo album but, for contractual reasons, was released as Black Sabbath featuring Tony Iommi. The last studio album of Black Sabbath, so far, is Forbidden dated 1995. Five years from
Forbidden , the guitarist released his first album "official" solo called Iommi (2000). There are many special guests in the album's tracks as Ozzy Osbourne, Phil Anselmo, Brian May, Dave Grohl and Serj Tankian .
In 2004, her second, The 1996 DEP Sessions , recorded originally in 1996 but never published. Of this work there is also a bootleg called Eighth Star "with Dave Holland (ex-Judas Priest) on drums. The parts of Holland are re-recorded by Jimmy Copley . The 1996 DEP Sessions also sees the collaboration of Glenn Hughes (vocals, bass) and keyboardist Don Airey, Geoff Nicholls, Mike Exeter.
In 2005 he launched Fused . The music is composed by Iommi and keyboardist Bob Marlette while the lyrics are by Glenn Hughes. On drums is the session man Kenny Aronoff.
the late '60s, Tony has played briefly in Jethro Tull, Mick Abrahams replacing live in the Rolling Stones , " Rock'n'Roll Circus." In 1989 participates in the project " Rock Aid Armenia," to help the Armenian people suffered a major earthquake in 1988.
In 1992, he took part in Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, playing four songs of Queen with the remaining members and other guests of the event.
In 2006, he formed the project Iommi Heaven and Hell, which was named album of the same name of the group that sees training components that have played in Black Sabbath.
Tony is married to Maria Sjölholm , former lead singer of the grunge Swedish Drain STH "in the eighties and had a relationship with singer Lita Ford. His daughter, Toni-Marie Iommi , is currently the lead singer of the band " LunarMile .
Iommi has always been an active investigator for new sounds and guitar techniques. One of his first guitar was a Fender Stratocaster , constantly tampered with the 'entering inside the sheet metal to change its sound. During
recording the first album of Black Sabbath, one of the pick-up broke and the guitar had to be repaired, replacing Iommi used a Gibson SG . He was honored in 1997 by Gibson with the production model of its own pick-up, marked " Tony Iommi Signature Series."
The style of the guitarist had a huge impact on heavy metal and his riffs are noticeable in the style of many modern guitarists. According All Music Guide, Tony, along with Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, was the pioneer of the genre. In the ranking of "100 greatest guitarists ever" drawn up Rolling Stone Magazine , Iommi is located at 86 th place, while the second Guitar World, is 1st place in the ranking of "100 best metal guitarists .
(from wikipedia)
