Singer TONY MARTIN Talks About BLACK SABBATH Years, Solo Career

Sweden's Metalshrine recently conducted an interview with former BLACK SABBATH frontman Tony Martin. An excerpt from the question-and-answer session follows:

Metalshrine: Your band at the moment features your son. It's got to be the ultimate feeling as a father to work together with his son. How did that come about?

Tony Martin: "Well, it's a bit strange actually, I love it. I missed the boys growing up because I was divorced from their mother quite young. And only got to see them at intervals. As they got older, they got to know me as a friend more than a father but I love 'em both. I think they're really cool. I realized Joe was serious about his playing guitar when he was about 14. He asked me one day if I'd buy him a guitar and I said 'What guitar?' He pointed out an Ibanez S470 and I said he must be joking because it was £1000 sterling, and his reply was.... 'It's OK, I got the money, I saved up for it!' I was amazed! This kid had been working spare time, dreamed about this guitar and saved enough to buy it. I said, 'Why do you want me to get it then? He said, ''Cause I can't drive, you idiot!' FANTASTIC!!!!! I loved this kid and I took him to get it. And he learned real quick. I asked him to play some of the solos on 'Scream', because I wasn't able to get my fingers round them. I am a guitar player of some 40 years, but I STILL can't get some of the places that my head THINKS I can go!!! Joe can. And since he plays on the album I thought it would be a great experience going on the road too."

Metalshrine: You also got SABBATH veteran Geoff Nicholls in your band and I can only imagine whan at assett he must be with his experience and skills. What exactly does he bring to the table in the band and is he a permanent solution?

Tony Martin: "I REALLY like Geoff. He has been an inspiration for me in many ways and he understands the atmosphere that I like to sing with. He created a lot of the atmosphere that came with the Tony Martin SABBATH years. I would love him to be a fixed member of the band but he also has film work and TV stuff going on. Right now he's happy doing this so that's cool. He is also the guy that keeps spirits up when we are struggling with stuff. VERY funny guy and great to be with."

Metalshrine: I've seen your setlist for some of your soloshows and I wonder, like many others, why you play a couple of Ozzy-era songs on your shows? Honestly, I think the people going to your shows much rather hear the songs YOU did in SABBATH and also in your side projects than the boring SABBATH songs that been played a 1000 times.

Tony Martin: "I hear ya, I understand what you mean although I only play 'War Pigs' and 'Children of the Sea', which is a Dio track. The thing is.... I was in SABBATH for a span of 10 years and was there longer than Dio and almost made it longer than Ozzy untill he rejoined the band! I sang those songs in SABBATH longer than the people that wrote them.....SO WHAT! I hear you say... Well, I kinda know those songs really well, and it's my small tribute to the years that went before me. I have huge respect for those years and I wanted to remind people that I helped to keep that stuff alive!!! Also... Geoff Nicholls was a big part of the Dio era with 'Heaven and Hell' etc. so we touch on that because of his involvement."

Read the entire interview at this location.