Tony Iommi On Ian Gillan-Fronted BLACK SABBATH - "We Were In A Pub And Got Absolutely Drunk And The Next Thing We Were In A Band Together"
November 10, 2009, 14 years ago
Daniel P. Carter from BBC's Radio 1’s Rock Show spoke with BLACK SABBATH guitar legend Tony Iommi (also HEAVEN & HELL) recently and the interview aired on Monday, November 9th at midnight in the UK. The chat is streaming online now at this location (Iommi portion starts at the 43 minute mark).
During the conversation Iommi talks in-depth about the band's recently reissued Ozzy-era catalog and explains how Sabbath found former RAINBOW singer Ronnie James Dio: "I knew what Ronnie was like - I always enjoyed what he did and how he sang. We got Ronnie to come over when we lived in Los Angeles and we just went in and had a play in the home studio. It was great. He fitted in just like that, no problem at all. After Ronnie was Ian Gillan - we all know Ian Gillan. We were in a pub and got absolutely drunk and the next thing we were in a band together. Then it was Tony Martin - again a great singer, a great friend. Tony Martin was one I really didn't know when he came in, but he was with us for ten years."