Tony Iommi was born in Birmingham, England, son of an Italian immigrant. He wasn't a good student, ran with gangs, worked in a factory and wanted to start a band. As he recalls in Iron Man, an industrial accident took several fingers from his fretting hand. Not to be deterred, he fabricated thimbles to hold down the guitar strings. He played in pubs, almost joined Jethro Tull and ultimately ended up forming Black Sabbath. Iron Man chronicles a life of ale, drugs and women and a trail of destruction behind every tour. He denies devil worship and insists he always wore a “proper” cross on stage. Singer Ozzy Osbourne went on to reality show stardom; Iommi continues to make wicked music.
