Tony Iommi Net Worth

What Is Tony Iommi's Net Worth?

Tony Iommi is an English songwriter, singer, and musician who has a net worth of $140 million. Tony Iommi is best known as the founding guitarist and primary riff architect of Black Sabbath, the pioneering heavy metal band that reshaped rock music in the 1970s. Known for his dark, doom-laden guitar tone and innovative playing style, Iommi was instrumental in crafting classics like "Iron Man," "Paranoid," and "War Pigs." Despite losing the tips of two fingers in an industrial accident at age 17, he adapted by using homemade thimbles and tuning his guitar down, which helped forge Sabbath's sludgy, signature sound. Over a career spanning more than five decades, Iommi became one of the most influential guitarists in rock history.

Iommi co-founded Black Sabbath in 1968 alongside Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward. The band's self-titled debut in 1970 and the follow-up albums "Paranoid" and "Master of Reality" are widely credited as laying the groundwork for heavy metal. Iommi remained the only constant member of the band through its many incarnations, even as Sabbath cycled through numerous lineup changes in the 1980s and 1990s.

In addition to his Sabbath work, Iommi released solo material, including the 2000 album "Iommi" featuring guest vocalists, and collaborated with other artists like Glenn Hughes. He reunited with Osbourne, Butler, and drummer Brad Wilk for Black Sabbath's final studio album, "13," in 2013, followed by a farewell tour that concluded in 2017.

Iommi has also battled lymphoma, announced in 2012, but has continued to perform, record, and occasionally reunite with Sabbath members. His riffs have influenced generations of metal and hard rock musicians, and he is frequently cited as one of the greatest guitarists of all time.

Early Life

Anthony Frank Iommi was born on February 19, 1948, in Birmingham, England. Tony was raised in a Catholic household by a family who owned vineyards in Italy and a shop in Aston. He first met Ozzy Osbourne as a young boy in school, although Ozzy was one year younger than him. Iommi was picked on by local bullies, so he started studying martial arts at the age of 10 to protect himself. Tony initially wanted to play the drums, but he chose the guitar instead as it created less noise for his parents to deal with.

During his teen years, Iommi started working in a sheet metal factory. After he started to experience success as a musician for the first time, he informed his superiors that he would soon be quitting. For whatever reason, Tony was told to work on machinery that he had very little experience with during his last few weeks at work. An accident occurred one day, and Iommi lost the tips of his middle and ring fingers. He was 17 years old.

Although Tony was informed that he would never play the guitar again, he was encouraged to continue playing by those around him. He was tempted to re-learn how to play the guitar left-handed, but in the end, he created artificial fingertips for himself using melted plastic bottle caps. However, this approach created issues for Tony's music. First of all, he could no longer feel the pressure on the strings, which created a tendency for him to press down extremely hard on the strings. Because his injured fingers were less nimble, he also relied on fretting chords rather than single-note solos. Finally, Tony heavily de-tuned his guitar by up to three semitones in order to make his strings easier to bend. This created an incredibly "heavy" sound.

Jo Hale/ Getty Images

Career

Although Tony started off by playing in a wide range of rock bands throughout the '60s, it wasn't until he met up with Ozzy Osbourne, Bill Ward, and Geezer Butler that he achieved more notable success. This was the beginning of Black Sabbath. The group was eventually renamed "Earth," and Tony departed briefly in 1968.

However, by 1969 the group had come together once again, renaming themselves Black Sabbath. Iommi became an integral part of the group, helping to define their unique, heavily detuned sound. Although albums like "Master of Reality," "Paranoid," and "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" revolutionized rock music and helped usher in a completely new genre, Sabbath had trouble adapting to the changing music scene.

Osbourne was eventually fired and replaced by Ronnie James Dio. Soon, Sabbath completely dematerialized, with a number of members dropping out, including the newly hired Dio. Eventually, Iommi started releasing solo albums, starting with "Seventh Star" in 1986. Much later, Black Sabbath would reunite and tour throughout the 2000s, and they even released another album in 2013 entitled "13."

In 2000, Tony released another solo album called "Iommi." In 2006, he started a new band called Heaven & Hell, which included all the members of Black Sabbath – minus Ozzy. This group has toured extensively with other bands like Megadeth, Judas Priest, and Testament.

(Photo by Annamaria DiSanto/WireImage)

Relationships

In 1973, Iommi married Susan Snowdon, although the marriage only lasted for three years. He then married a model named Melinda in 1980, and the couple had a child together before divorcing in the mid-80s. Tony eventually "saved" his daughter from foster care, as her mentally unbalanced mother was not able to care for her properly. Iommi won custody of his daughter and provided a stable home for her. Tony then married a woman named Valery, although they divorced in the late 90s. In 2005, he married vocalist Maria Sjöholm after meeting her in the late '90s.

Health Issues

In 2012, Tony was diagnosed with lymphoma. Over the next period, he received treatments while touring with Black Sabbath, and he successfully recovered. In 2016, he officially revealed that his cancer was in remission. Also, in 2016, he revealed that he had an operation to remove a lump from his throat, although the lump wasn't cancerous.

Real Estate

In 2014, it was reported that Iommi was selling his home in England for $4.3 million. The residence is in Lapworth, Warwickshire, and it includes six bedrooms and 8,000 square feet of space. Other features include a home cinema, a billiards room, and, of course, a fully functional music studio. Outside, stunning fountains and sculptures decorate the grounds.

Who's Richer?

Tony
Iommi

Compare!

Geezer
Butler