Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi is set to receive his MBE from the Princess Royal at Windsor Castle today, Wednesday, September 30. He was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the King's Birthday Honours earlier this year in recognition of his services to music and charity.
The 78-year-old, nicknamed The Godfather Of Heavy Metal, previously described the accolade as "unbelievable". Iommi co-founded Black Sabbath in the 1960s alongside the late Ozzy Osbourne, Terence "Geezer" Butler and Bill Ward.
Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne
Iommi paid tribute to his "dear friend" Osbourne in July on the first anniversary of his death, adding: "I still can't believe that he's not with us." Osbourne, who died of a reported heart attack, had endured a succession of health problems over the years, including several surgeries following a fall and a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease.
Born in Birmingham in 1948, Iommi nearly abandoned his musical ambitions after being told he might never play again when he lost the tips of two fingers on his right hand in an industrial accident. But he met drummer Ward and, in 1968, the pair formed a heavy blues rock band based in Birmingham — recruiting bassist Butler and vocalist Osbourne in what was initially known as Earth Blues Company.
From Earth Blues to Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame
The group later changed their name to Black Sabbath, going on to sell millions of records over the following decade with iconic tracks including Paranoid and War Pigs. Sabbath went through numerous line-up changes over the years, yet managed to claim two UK number one albums, scoop four Grammy Awards and secure a place in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
Iommi has worked alongside a host of artists, among them Dave Grohl, Ian Astbury, Peter Steele and Robbie Williams. He has also championed charities such as Macmillan Cancer Support, following his diagnosis with lymphoma in 2012 and subsequent announcement that he was in remission in 2016.
Charity work and animal welfare
Earlier this year, the guitar legend revealed he had auctioned one of his instruments, raising £53,000 towards a new haematology and oncology centre at Birmingham's Heartlands Hospital. Iommi is also committed to animal welfare, serving as a patron for Vale Wildlife Hospital and Wythall Animal Sanctuary.
Also due to be recognised today was art curator Ekow Eshun, who heads the Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group, responsible for overseeing the artworks displayed on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square, central London. The 58-year-old was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in recognition of his services to the arts.
Ekow Eshun honoured for arts services
Eshun made history as the first black editor of a major UK magazine when he took the helm at Arena Magazine in 1997. He went on to become the first black director of a prominent arts institution, the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, where he served from 2005 to 2010. In recent years, Eshun has put together exhibitions at both the Southbank Centre and the National Portrait Gallery in London, centred on black artists and the portrayal of black figures within contemporary art.
