TONY IOMMI On Possible Collaboration With ROBERT PLANT: 'We've Talked About It A Couple Of Times'

In a new interview with Katherine Turman of Los Angeles Times, BLACK SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi was asked about the possibility of a musical collaboration with fellow British rock legend, LED ZEPPELIN singer Robert Plant. Iommi responded: "I did say to [Robert] one time about doing something together, but again, he got his own thing, and I did [too]. Who knows? We've talked about it a couple of times, but he's into a certain flavor of music that he likes to play, which is different to what I play, really. I don't discard anything that way. If something comes up that's a good idea and somebody's into it, then I'm going to have a go."

Back in December 2019, Black Sabbath Online's Joe Siegler shared a photo of Iommi and Plant hanging out together at the Nashville airport, as they were apparently coincidentally both flying home from there at the same time. The duo appeared to be looking at something on Iommi's phone while an oblivious group of people were seated behind them waiting for their boarding call.

In a 2005 interview with Sirius Satellite Radio, Iommi revealed that he has studio tapes of BLACK SABBATH jamming with LED ZEPPELIN during the mid-1970s.

"BLACK SABBATH used to jam with LED ZEPPELIN all the time." Iommi said. "We'd be trying to rehearse and they'd come interrupt us. I've got some tapes floating around the house."

"When we were playing clubs, [LED ZEPPELIN drummer] John [Bonham] would sometimes come along and he'd want to get up and jam," Iommi later told Classic Rock. "The first time, we said, 'Okay then.' So he got up and played Bill's [Ward, SABBATH drummer] drums and just wrecked them. Bill was really pissed off, so after that anytime John came along and said, 'Can I have a go?', Bill would go 'no' and not let him play."

The two bands even ended up jamming together in a recording studio while BLACK SABBATH was making its 1975 album "Sabotage".

"We were recording in Morgan Studios in London, and John came down to see us," Iommi recalled to Classic Rock. "He brought Planty and John Paul Jones — Jimmy Page was the only one who wasn't there. They came in and John's going, 'Let's play 'Supernaut',' 'cause he loved that song. So he sat behind the kit and we started to play it. Of course, he didn't play it right, but we just carried on and went into a jam."

He added: "We were just jamming, making stuff up. Our session went totally out of the window."

Iommi's latest solo album, "From The Dark", arrived on October 23 via BMG. The LP sees Tony joined throughout by singer Jorn Lande, who shares writing credits on all songs, as well as bassist Becky Baldwin and drummer Karl Brazil. The effort was co-produced by Tony and Mike Exeter, his longtime creative partner, co-writer, producer and audio engineer.

Iommi is widely regarded as one of the most influential guitarists in modern music. As the founding member and primary composer of BLACK SABBATH, Iommi is credited with helping create the sound and vocabulary of heavy metal.

Iommi's contributions have been recognized with multiple Grammy Awards, induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and honorary academic distinctions in the U.K. He was awarded a doctorate from Coventry University, a Lord Mayor's Award and the Freedom Of The City of Birmingham. Most recently, in June 2026 he has been awarded an MBE, one of the highest honors in British public life.

In his youth, Iommi overcame a serious industrial accident that cost him the tips of two fingers — an event that led him to develop a distinctive playing style and the darker, heavier guitar tone that defined BLACK SABBATH's music. Formed with Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward, the band released pioneering albums throughout the 1970s and became one of the most culturally significant British exports of the era.

Across his six-decade career, Iommi has continued to record, perform and collaborate internationally. He worked extensively with the late Ronnie James Dio, released acclaimed solo material, and reunited with the original BLACK SABBATH lineup for the chart-topping 2013 album "13" and the global farewell tour "The End" (2016–2017) which played to 1.6 million fans.

In recent years, his work has expanded notably into broader cultural spheres. In 2023 he collaborated with the Birmingham Royal Ballet on "Black Sabbath - The Ballet", a groundbreaking production based on his early compositions. BLACK SABBATH headlined 2025's monumental metal show "Back To The Beginning" in Birmingham, an all-encompassing show revisiting BLACK SABBATH's origins and a poignant farewell to fans, that took place just a few weeks before the death of his bandmate Ozzy Osbourne.

Robert Plant photo by Tom Oldham