'Black Sabbath Day' Given Backing By Birmingham Culture Chief

February 7, 2012

According to the Birminham Mail, Birmingham, England's culture chief has thrown his support behind a suggested "Black Sabbath Day" in the city to celebrate the heavy metal legends' contribution to music.

Council cabinet member for leisure, sport and culture Martin Mullaney has backed a series of recommendations in the "Destination Birmingham" report on the city's music industry and heritage published earlier this week.

Coun Mullaney (Lib Dem, Moseley and Kings Heath) said, "I am fully behind a celebration for BLACK SABBATH and we will be talking about that."

Council member Philip Parkin brought up the idea of a "Black Sabbath Day" in a report titled "Destination Birmingham," saying, "BLACK SABBATH's reunion and their agreement to headline Download festival in June is an opportunity we should not miss. Early discussions are taking place about how best the city should celebrate this and the council should be supporting any celebrations . . . we need to celebrate the fact these people come from Birmingham and there could be various ways we could do it."

The original lineup of BLACK SABBATH — bassist Geezer Butler, guitarist Tony Iommi, singer Ozzy Osbourne and drummer Bill Ward — reunited in November to record its first album in 33 years, to be followed by a world tour.

Those plans were thrown into question last month when Iommi was diagnosed with lymphoma, a form of cancer.

But the band has continued to work on the new album, moving the project to London from Los Angeles so that Iommi could be close to his doctors.

Last week, Ward issued a statement that he would not participate in the reunited band's new album and tour unless he was given a fair contract.

SABBATH is still scheduled to appear at this June's Download festival in the U.K., although a planned headlining slot at April's Coachella festival in California was scrapped and other tour plans have yet to be confirmed.

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