A group of British politicians are calling for the members of BLACK SABBATH to be honored for their services to music.
A cross-bench selection of MPs (members of Parliament) have joined forces with the leader of Birmingham City Council, Ian Ward, and the deputy leader, Councillor Brigid Jones and have written to the Queen asking for her “direct intervention”.
The request comes less than a week after SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne made a surprise appearance together at the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony in Birmingham, which is their original hometown.
Khalid Mahmood, Labour MP for Birmingham Perry Barr, has also started a petition calling for the band to be recognized for their services to music and the city of Birmingham.
“For all their global fame, they have kept strong links with Birmingham, demonstrated by their barnstorming surprise performance at the closing ceremony of Commonwealth Games,” he said.
“I appreciate this request is not within the normal procedures of seeking royal honours. However, we feel that this extraordinary occasion deserves extraordinary recognition of this extraordinary group of musicians,” the letter continued.
“We therefore seek direct intervention and support from Your Majesty to recognise the great contribution made by these fine and ground-breaking musicians, who were made in Birmingham and who have once again not just entertained Birmingham, the United Kingdom and the whole of the Commonwealth but perhaps the world.”
The original lineup of SABBATH came together in 1969 with Iommi, Osbourne, Geezer Butler on bass and Bill Ward on drums. That lineup recorded and toured through 1978, and periodically reformed through the ’90s and 2000s for live work.
They regrouped again in late 2011 for a new album and tour, although Ward dropped out after a few months over financial issues. SABBATH used Ozzy‘s regular touring drummer Tommy Clufetos since then for live work. RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE‘s Brad Wilk laid down the drum tracks on “13”, which came out in June 2013.
In February 2017, SABBATH finished “The End” tour in Birmingham, closing out the quartet’s groundbreaking 49-year career.
“The End” was SABBATH‘s last tour because Iommi, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2012 and is currently in remission, can no longer travel for extended amounts of time.
SABBATH wrote and recorded its 2013 reunion album, “13”, and toured it all over the world while Iommi was going through treatment for his illness, with the guitarist having to fly back to England every six weeks.
Source:Â www.blabbermouth.net
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