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EXPLAINED: 13 - The Real Truth

ronnie james dio history black sabbath rainbow

Metal Hammer

“He’d got it down to a tee. He wore one of my jackets, a wig, a mustache and I’m playing behind him”: Tony Iommi once dressed his guitar tech up as himself and sent him onstage as a prank on Sabbath singer Tony Martin

The real Tony Iommi played while hiding behind a stack, and the fake Iommi nearly got away with it

Guitar World

"I used to hate the sight of Ozzy. I couldn’t stand him, and I used to beat him up whenever I saw him": Tony Iommi in conversation with James Hetfield

In the year of our Lord 1992, the Master Of Reality met the Master Of Puppets: The day Metallica’s James Hetfield and Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi sat down together for the first time

Metal Hammer

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“It shows every member of the band doing what they did best – Gillan’s vocals, Jon Lord’s keyboards”: the In Rock classic that’s Tony Iommi‘s favourite Deep Purple song

Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi reveals his favourite song by fellow rock pioneers Deep Purple

Louder

“B.C. Rich guitars were God back then. They weren’t like a Strat or a Les Paul – they were something different. They had so much power”: Lita Ford on her trailblazing guitar journey – and that time she nearly joined Led Zeppelin

Ever since she lied about her age to save for her first electric guitar, Lita Ford has been all about lead and leading. She looks back at life-changing encounters with Tony Iommi and Ritchie Blackmore, and explains why Kemper profiling is like “putting a Rolls Royce into a Volkswagen body”

Guitar World

“It was always magical playing bass with Tony Iommi. To me, he's the greatest guitarist ever”: Geezer Butler’s 10 best basslines with Black Sabbath

When it comes to influential metal bands, few can hold a candle to Black Sabbath. These are Geezer Butler’s 10 heaviest rock riffs

Guitar World

“John was constantly seeking better solutions, which manifested as astonishing woodwork and innovative electronics”: Remembering John Diggins – the luthier who built guitars for Tony Iommi and the first Red Special replica

Diggins was the mastermind behind Jaydee Custom Guitars and had over five decades of experience in making top-quality instruments

Guitar World

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New vocalists lasted five minutes and founder members quit amid the chaos: 1984 was an awful year for Black Sabbath, and by its end they were almost obliterated

Molotov cocktails and member mayhem: The chaotic story of Black Sabbabth's worst year

Metal Hammer

“He’d go to the pub, come back at 9 o’clock, out of it, and go, ‘Right, let’s start’”: the story of Ozzy Osbourne’s forgotten 1970s “prog rock” solo band

A couple years before he met Randy Rhoads and released Blizzard Of Ozz, Ozzy Osbourne tried to launch a solo career with a different band

Metal Hammer

Ten times Billy Corgan collaborated with his heroes

The Smashing Pumpkins leader has racked up some impressive guest spots over the years

Louder

Clapton, Iommi, Bonamassa, Tedeschi, Trucks, Townshend, Slash... New video for Mark Knopfler’s Guitar Heroes version of Going Home reveals who played what and when on the all-star charity single

Jeff Beck's final recorded solo opens a track featuring 50-plus guitarists and all the proof if needed that Guy Fletcher is a genius producer to be able to stitch all of this together

MusicRadar

“An absolutely genius video presentation”: New video for Mark Knopfler’s all-star Guitar Heroes charity single reveals who played what on the 50-guitarist-strong instrumental epic

The cleverly put together clip picks apart the many pieces of the nine-minute track, putting the spotlight on the track's A-list contributors

Guitar World

Black Sabbath announce details of long-awaited Tony Martin era box set and The Eternal Idol is nowhere to be seen

The new set will contain remastered versions of Headless Cross, Tyr and Cross Purposes, plus a new Tony Iommi mix of Forbidden

Metal Hammer

Mark Knopfler's all-star Guitar Heroes version of Going Home is battling for the UK #1 spot with Beyoncé and Ariana Grande

Tony Iommi, Jeck Beck, David Gilmour, Slash, Jeff Beck, Pete Townshend and more could top the charts this weekend – but not without your help

Louder

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MusicRadar

“Brian May did an entire section, about a dozen guitar harmonies:” Mark Knopfler’s all-star Guitar Heroes charity single, Going Home, is released – but who played what?

Featuring over 50 A-list guitarists, the expanded Local Hero theme opens with Jeff Beck's final solo, has Joan Armatrading rocking on electric and May going harmony mad to raise money for teen cancer charities

Guitar World

“What he did with it, it just brings you to tears”: Jeff Beck’s last-ever recording has been released – as Mark Knopfler’s sensational star-studded charity single finally arrives

More than 50 of the world’s finest guitar heroes have joined forces for the track, which has been recorded to raise funds for teenage cancer charities

Louder

“It brings you to tears”: Listen to Pink Floyd's David Gilmour, Pete Townshend, Brian May, Tony Iommi, Alex Lifeson plus Jeff Beck's last-ever recording on stunning new version of Mark Knopfler's Going Home, raising funds for US and UK cancer charities

Hear some of the world's most iconic guitarists play together on one of rock's great instrumentals, re-recorded for charity, and available to purchase now

Metal Hammer

"Crank it up now!" Black Sabbath's Paranoid passes one billion streams on Spotify

One of the most famous metal songs of all time passes a major milestone

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Metal Hammer

Listen to Black Sabbath cover Deep Purple’s Smoke On The Water, with Ian Gillan on vocals

During the 1983 Born Again tour, Black Sabbath acknowledged new singer Ian Gillan’s former band by performing Deep Purple’s signature song

Guitar World

“I think what we’ve had is an embarrassment of riches”: The first minute of Mark Knopfler’s star-studded charity single has been released – can you guess the guitar heroes from their chops?

The nine-minute extended cut contains contributions from over 50 guitar legends, and features Jeff Beck's final recording

Top News

James Bay's Dream Day: Meeting Guitar Legends

James Bay fulfills a dream by meeting musical icons Jimmy Page, Brian Harold May, and Tony Iommi at a Gibson guitars event. The power of music and persever...

MusicRadar

"I do believe there’s been a renaissance of guitar players" – Gibson just affirmed its commitment to new guitarists, and Jimmy Page is backing it

"Even our more affordable instruments have to be amazing", says its CEO. For a brand often criticised for releasing high-end models that feel unobtainable, the message from the new Gibson Garage in London feels very well-timed

MusicRadar

“We think of Jimmy as an ambassador emeritus of guitars and a music trailblazer in the birth and evolution of rock!” Gibson and Jimmy Page are teaming up for a “multi-year partnership”

The news broke as the Led Zep legend appeared the Gibson Garage London launch event, with the epic signature collaboration to kick off with a repro of Page's iconic EDS-1275 Doubleneck

MusicRadar

“It is going to become a hangout place, a destination, and I truly want to make it the most welcoming place in music”: Cesar Gueikian on what guitarists can expect at the Gibson Garage London

Live music, a gallery, everything Gibson under one roof and a made-to-measure Custom Shop service. The Gibson president/CEO tells us why the new London Garage is an immersive experience retail experience like no other

Metal Hammer

"There is a spirit in the place": Watch Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, Queen's Brian May and Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi unite to launch London's new Gibson Garage

Guitar legends join forces to launch Gibson's new flagship store in London

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