TONY IOMMI Talks About BLACK SABBATH's Final Shows And His Cancer Battle

November 3, 2016

BLACK SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi spoke to Ultimate Classic Rock about his recent revelation that his cancer is finally in remission. Iommi broke the news to the Birmingham Mail while helping to unveil a plaque at the hospital where he had been receiving treatment for his illness.

Asked what was it like to get the news that he was cancer-free, Iommi told Ultimate Classic Rock: "Well, it was really interesting how I got the news. I only got it because I was presenting the hospital [where I received treatment] with an award, and [a writer] who I was doing an interview with asked me if I was in remission. I turned to my doctor and asked, 'Am I in remission?' The doctor said, 'Yes.' And that's how I got to know."

Iommi added that he wasn't necessarily expecting that kind of news. "I'm always feeling around for lumps and bumps, and so I'm never comfortable," he explained. "I had a friend that went into remission and she planned a big party, and then the cancer came back. You just never know. It's just one of those things. I certainly didn't expect it to come out that I was in remission because, well, I don't know."

Iommi was diagnosed with cancer in early 2012, shortly after SABBATH announced a reunion tour and album. He underwent treatment throughout the recording of the disc, titled "13", and the subsequent tour to promote it.

Iommi told the Birmingham Mail: "I am in remission and hopefully, this situation will continue. The chemotherapy and the follow-up treatment appear to have done the trick — but I'm aware that it could come back one day. I have a blood test every six weeks (and) I come in here at regular intervals for check-ups. That's something that I'll have to live with for the rest of my life, looking for any warning signs that it might be rearing its ugly head again."

Iommi added that the specialist care center at Spire Parkway Hospital — where he unveiled the plaque — was a "vital resource" for cancer patients in England's Midlands region, saying, "I can't thank them enough for what they have done for me, and others like me."

SABBATH singer Ozzy Osbourne told The Pulse Of Radio around the release of "13" that Iommi never let his condition slow him down. "My hat goes off to him 'cause he really is Iron Man," he said. "I mean, that chemotherapy knocks you sideways, you know. I mean, when my wife had cancer a few years back, she was having three chemo things a month and it would knock the life out of — literally every time she'd have a treatment, she'd have a seizure. It's scary stuff. But he came down, plugged in and carried on. He's my hero, I swear to God he is."

BLACK SABBATH will bring its storied career to a close in its native England, with seven shows booked there in January and February. The last two, on February 2 and February 4, will take place in SABBATH's hometown of Birmingham and will likely be their final shows.

Iommi told Ultimate Classic Rock that, once the idea of the final tour came together, he didn't immediately know the band's last show would be at home in Birmingham. "We thought it would be nice if we could end there because that's where we started, but it just worked out," he said. "It's really peculiar to think that we are going to stop at all. For me, I love the playing, I love being with the guys onstage, but it's all the other stuff I don't like — the traveling, being away from home for such a long time."

Find more on Black sabbath
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • reddit
  • email

Comments Disclaimer And Information

BLABBERMOUTH.NET uses the Facebook Comments plugin to let people comment on content on the site using their Facebook account. The comments reside on Facebook servers and are not stored on BLABBERMOUTH.NET. To comment on a BLABBERMOUTH.NET story or review, you must be logged in to an active personal account on Facebook. Once you're logged in, you will be able to comment. User comments or postings do not reflect the viewpoint of BLABBERMOUTH.NET and BLABBERMOUTH.NET does not endorse, or guarantee the accuracy of, any user comment. To report spam or any abusive, obscene, defamatory, racist, homophobic or threatening comments, or anything that may violate any applicable laws, use the "Report to Facebook" and "Mark as spam" links that appear next to the comments themselves. To do so, click the downward arrow on the top-right corner of the Facebook comment (the arrow is invisible until you roll over it) and select the appropriate action. You can also send an e-mail to blabbermouthinbox(@)gmail.com with pertinent details. BLABBERMOUTH.NET reserves the right to "hide" comments that may be considered offensive, illegal or inappropriate and to "ban" users that violate the site's Terms Of Service. Hidden comments will still appear to the user and to the user's Facebook friends. If a new comment is published from a "banned" user or contains a blacklisted word, this comment will automatically have limited visibility (the "banned" user's comments will only be visible to the user and the user's Facebook friends).