TONY IOMMI To Join The Birmingham 'Walk Of Stars'

HEAVEN AND HELL guitarist, founding member of BLACK SABBATH, Grammy Award winner and king of heavy metal Tony Iommi will be honored on Birmingham, England's Broad Street Walk of Stars on Sunday, November 23.

Following an afternoon of live music from local bands on the stage in Centenary Square, Kerrang! Radio presenter Johnny Doom will host the evening, with the presentation of the star taking place at 6:30 p.m.

Born in Aston, Birmingham, guitarist and songwriter Tony is best known as the founding member of pioneering heavy metal band BLACK SABBATH, and more of less single-handedly inventing the heavy rock music genre. Iommi is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential guitarists in rock music and is widely considered to be the man who invented the heavy metal riff.

Iommi has released over 30 albums with BLACK SABBATH, two solo albums, has sold over 80 million copies and is the recipient of 20 platinum and 14 gold albums. BLACK SABBATH was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in November 2005, and in March 2006 into New York's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Currently working on a new studio album with HEAVEN AND HELL in America, Tony is thrilled to return home to accept his Walk of Stars honor. "It's great — it's really an honor — I'm really proud of it … I was shocked!" he said. "It's so nice to have things like that! I've got one out in L.A. but I'm not from L.A. It's so nice being recognized in your hometown."

Mike Olley, Broad Street Manager, said, "We are delighted to be welcoming Tony onto the Broad Street Walk of Stars. The contribution he has made to rock music deserves to be honored and we are excited he has agreed to give us the opportunity to do so."

On July 6, 2007, Ozzy Osbourne became the first artist to be honored on Birmingham, England's own Hollywood-style Walk of Stars in the city's Broad Street / Centenary Square.