Pioneering British heavy metal icons Black Sabbath are on track to be given prestigious honors by their hometown of Birmingham, England.
On Tuesday (Jan. 28), Birmingham City Council will receive recommendations that the four founding members of the band – vocalist Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, and drummer Bill Ward – each be given the honorary title of City Freeman. The title recognizes the contributions that the recipient has made to the city.
“Birmingham has a fantastic musical culture and Black Sabbath are a major part of that history, a pioneering band that still influences today’s musicians,” said city council Deputy Leader Cllr Sharon Thompson. “They have become synonymous with the city and have been true ambassadors throughout their phenomenal careers.
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“Conferring these honors on these Birmingham legends would be the perfect way of saying thank you for all that they have done for the city.”
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Black Sabbath, who first formed in the inner-Birmingham area of Aston in 1968 are long considered to be pioneers of heavy metal, with their influence being felt by bands such as other iconic groups such as Metallica, who inducted Black Sabbath into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. “Black Sabbath is and always will be synonymous with heavy metal,” said drummer Lars Ulrich.
“I’m honored and, at the same time, shocked that I would have ever been considered for this very special commendation,” Osbourne said of the honor. “I’m a proud Brummie from Aston through and through. I’m still amazed to this day that no one outside of Birmingham can understand a word I say, but that’s always made me laugh.
“I started with nothing but a dream, which I shared with Tony, Geezer and Bill,” he added. “We never gave up on that dream. My only regret is that my Mom and Dad are not here to see what I became. Birmingham Forever!”
“I’m over the moon! What a great honor to be a City Freeman,” added Iommi. “I’m aware that very few are given out. It ties us to the rich history of our hometown Birmingham, and that’s fantastic. I’m deeply grateful for the recognition.”
This is far from the first time that Birmingham has recognized the continuing impact of Black Sabbath. In 2019, Birmingham named both a bench and a bridge after the band. In 2024, Osbourne stated his desire to visit the bench, claiming he would do so “if I have to crawl there”.
Alongside Black Sabbath’s upcoming honors, the Birmingham City Council will also discuss awarding late musician, poet and actor Benjamin Zephaniah a City of Birmingham Medal. Zephaniah passed away in 2023 at the age of 65, having risen to greater fame in his final decade for his role of Jeremiah Jesus on Peaky Blinders.
In 2003, Zephaniah had turned down an offer to be appointed an officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), stating, “I get angry when I hear that word ’empire’; it reminds me of slavery, it reminds of thousands of years of brutality, it reminds me of how my foremothers were raped and my forefathers brutalised.”
