According to Paul Cole from the Birmingham Mail, BLACK SABBATH guitar legend Tony Iommi has revealed how Midland guitar hero ALVIN LEE, who died last week, gave him an early break.

It was the TEN YEARS AFTER guitar star who saw something in Tony’s band EARTH – who went on to find fame after changing their name to Black Sabbath – and helped them to get some of their early gigs.

Lee unexpectedly died on March 6th following complications during routine surgery. The Nottingham, UK-born musician rose to fame after appearing at the Woodstock festival in 1969. The band, who had eight Top 40 albums in the UK, had their biggest hit in 1971 with 'I'd Love To Change The World'. "We have lost a wonderful and much loved father and companion, the world has lost a truly great and gifted musician," said the statement from his wife and daughters.

“I was extremely saddened to hear of Alvin’s death,” the Sabbath star said. “It was a great shock. I had not known that he was ill.

“Alvin was a really great guitar player but, more importantly, has been a good friend of Black Sabbath over the years.

“In the early days, when we were still going by the name of Earth, it was Alvin who helped us get some gigs. He’d been out there a bit before us, and knew the ropes. We’d sit and talk the night away at a flat in London. I remember telling him that we were thinking of changing our name to Black Sabbath. He was horrified! He told me we’d never do any good with a name like that.”

Read more at Birmingham Mail.

Alvin Lee released his 14th record, Still On The Road To Freedom, in August last year. He was due to play a concert at Olympia Hall in Paris on April 7th with blues guitarist JOHNNY WINTER.