In an interview with Classic Rock, BLACK SABBATH legend Tony Iommi remembered performing at 2002’s Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, the celebration that marked the 50th anniversary of the Queen’s accession to the throne.
He said:
“Being a part of the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations was very weird but a wonderful experience. After Ozzy and I had played, we were invited to Buckingham Palace for a drink – supposedly for 15 minutes, but it didn’t turn out like that.
“And [princes] Harry and William complained, ‘You didn’t play ‘Black Sabbath’!’ It seems they are big fans.
“And so was [then-Prime Minister] Tony Blair. While I was talking to him, Ozzy came over to ask me something and didn’t even acknowledge Blair. When I introduced them, Ozzy didn’t even say a word. After he’d gone I had to apologize: ‘Sorry, Tony. Ozzy’s always like that.’
“And it’s true. There are so many examples. My wife and I had lunch with him and Sharon at the Beverly Hills Hotel. These two blokes came over to say hello, and one of them was [actor] David Arquette.
“And at the top of his voice, Ozzy asked, ‘Who the f*ck’s that?!‘ How embarrassing – and funny. [Laughs] But that’s typical Ozzy. You’ll never change him.”
Remembering more embarrassing moments involving Ozzy, Tony said during the interview:
“Sabbath’s earliest gigs were crap. How we got from those days to what the band eventually became, I’m really not sure.
“We would play places where nobody was interested. Or we’d turn up and people would think that we were playing pop when of course we weren’t. I recall a gig at a place called the Toe Bar in Egremont and this bloke shouted out: ‘Your singer’s crap.’
“That was really embarrassing. Of course, we improved as the years went by, but we certainly had to teach people – and ourselves – about what we were doing, because it was so different. It was a very steep learning curve.”
