At 78, Tony Iommi Names the Guitarists He Truly Respects

Tony Iommi helped invent heavy metal — but the guitarists he actually praised came from very different worlds. A clean-toned instrumental player from the early sixties. A blues innovator nobody could copy. A self-taught inventor who built his own amps. His best friend of nearly sixty years. And a jazz guitarist from the nineteen thirties who gave him a reason to keep playing after a factory accident took two fingertips. This is not a generic top five countdown. Every name here comes from documented Tony Iommi interviews and his own written account — Guitar World, Rolling Stone, BBC Radio, and Iommi's autobiography. What emerges is a clear picture of what the Black Sabbath guitarist actually values in another player, and it has almost nothing to do with speed. Featured in this episode: Hank Marvin of The Shadows, Jeff Beck, Eddie Van Halen, Brian May of Queen, and Django Reinhardt. Tony Iommi is seventy-eight and still working. His first solo album in more than twenty years, From the Dark, arrives October 23rd, with Brian May guesting on the track "Death Wake." Which guitarist do you think Tony Iommi would put above everyone else? And who should Vinyl & Ruin cover next? Drop the name in the comments. Subscribe to Vinyl & Ruin for classic rock history, told properly. All footage and images used under fair use for commentary, criticism, and historical documentary purposes. This channel is not affiliated with or endorsed by any artist, estate, or record label featured. #TonyIommi #BlackSabbath #ClassicRock #GuitarLegends #HeavyMetal