Tony Iommi Biography and Timeline

Birth of Anthony Frank Iommi

Birth of Anthony Frank Iommi, later guitarist and sole continuous member of Black Sabbath.

Role range: 1948-

Factory Accident

Iommi loses the tips of two fingers in an industrial accident and adapts his playing.

Polka Tulk

After the dissolution of Mythology, Ward and Iommi, along with Ozzy Osbourne and Geezer Butler, found a new band, the Polka Tulk Blues Band, later called Earth and finally renamed Black Sabbath

Polka Tulk

Tony Iommi & Bill Ward were in a band called Mythology and Geezer Butler with Ozzy in a band called Rare Breed, these groups broke up and form the Polka Tulk Blues Band.

Mythology

Joins Mythology

Earth

Helps form Polka Tulk Blues Band in Birmingham before the group becomes Earth and then Black Sabbath. This record concerns Tony Iommi and Earth.

Mythology

Leaves Mythology with Bill Ward before helping form the group that becomes Black Sabbath.

Role range: 1967-1968

Polka Tulk Blues Band

Joins Polka Tulk Blues Band on guitar, beginning the partnership with Osbourne, Butler and Ward.

Role range: 1968-1969

Polka Tulk Guitar

Iommi plays lead guitar as Polka Tulk develops its heavy blues style.

Role range: 1968-1969 – 1948-

Black Sabbath Composer

Iommi becomes the group's principal riff writer and only continuous founding member.

Adoption of Black Sabbath Name

The group adopts the name Black Sabbath while performing in Birmingham.

Role range: 1968- – 1948-

Earth Renamed Black Sabbath

Iommi's band Earth changes its name to avoid confusion with another group.

Role range: 1968-1969

Heavy Guitar Style

Iommi develops the heavy guitar sound that defines Black Sabbath's early music.

Role range: 1968-

Black Sabbath

Records the debut album with heavy riffs that help define the emerging heavy metal style.

Role range: 1968-

Paranoid

Creates the guitar riffs for Paranoid, Iron Man and War Pigs during the band's breakthrough year.

Role range: 1968-

Master of Reality

Uses lower tunings on Master of Reality, deepening the heavy sound that influences later metal bands.

Role range: 1968-

Changes

Adds piano and arrangement ideas to Changes, showing a softer side of the band.

Role range: 1968-

Sabotage

Records Sabotage during a period of legal and management pressure around the band.

Role range: 1968-

Heaven and Hell

Leads the renewed Black Sabbath sound on Heaven and Hell with Ronnie James Dio.

Role range: 1968-

Black Sabbath

Iommi and Butler rejoin Dio and drummer Vinny Appice to record Dehumanizer

Black Sabbath

The original line up reunites with Osbourne and releases a live album, Reunion

Black Sabbath

The early/mid 1980s line-up featuring Iommi, Butler, Dio, and Appice reform under the title, Heaven & Hell

The End

Plays Black Sabbath's final concert in Birmingham during The End tour.

Role range: 1968-