Slash has nominated Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi for the Pride Of Birmingham Award, reports the Birmingham Mail.
“Tony is one of those guys who inspires everyone,” said Slash, 49, who was born Saul Hudson in Stoke-on-Trent but now lives in Los Angeles. “I was brought up on Black Sabbath and he is one of the best rock and roll guitarists out there. As a fellow player, I can really appreciate all the nuances of his technique – he is one hell of a guitar player.”
“This is the man who invented heavy metal in Birmingham and created Sabbath, a brand nobody can touch,” he added. “Everyone you meet in rock circles will tell you that they were inspired by Black Sabbath and the band’s influence is immeasurable. Besides which, Tony is a great guy and we’ve met on a number of occasions. There’s just no stopping him. He comes down with lymphoma and what does he do? Reform Sabbath and do a world tour. He really is the Pride of Birmingham and he deserves a f******g medal.”
Iommi has been confirmed as one of the presenters at the Pride of Birmingham Awards, set for September 26 at the city’s historic Town Hall.
Earlier this month, Black Sabbath wrapped up a world tour in support of their latest album, “13.”
The group played three warm-up shows in 2012 before officially launching the "13" tour in New Zealand in April of 2013; they went on to play 84 shows by the time the trek was completed with a headlining show in London’s Hyde Park on July 4.
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