Black Sabbath (w/ Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler)

Black Sabbath were a heavy rock and metal band from Birmingham, United Kingdom. The band is widely considered the Godfathers of heavy metal, but with some debate. The lead guitarist, Tony Iommi, is the band’s only continuous member, but the four-piece lineup also famously included Ozzy Osbourne, drummer Bill Ward and bassist “Geezer” Butler. Ronnie James Dio is also a notable singer recruited by the band after Ozzy was fired in 1979.

Originally named Mythology, Polka Tulk Blues Band, Polka Tulk and Earth, the group eventually settled on a four-piece group and renamed themselves after Tony Iommi and Ozzy Osbourne wrote the song “Black Sabbath”. The song was inspired by the 1963 anthology movie of the same name, directed by Mario Bava and starred Boris Karloff. The song’s title became the group’s name while the popularity of their music’s darker overtones and themes grew.

While Black Sabbath brought heavy metal to the world, other bands like Led Zeppelin are credited with introducing more mainstream hard rock. Always with Tony Iommi, the band has had a number of lineup changes including notable mentions of Ozzy Osbourne, Ronnie James Dio, and Ian Gillan of Deep Purple.

The Retro Artists