Fifty years ago in Birmingham, England, Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward came together to form what is now widely considered the first true metal band. Throughout its numerous iterations and reunions, Black Sabbath are undeniably among one of the most influential groups of all time, and their hometown has recognized them as such on its Broad Street "Walk of Stars" (similar to Hollywood's Walk of Fame) where all the members other than Ward are immortalized. That oversight could be reconciled soon, and in addition, the city is considering giving a collective star to the band as a whole.
The accolades wouldn't stop there, though: As BirminghamLive reports, a heavy-metal bench featuring likenesses of each member has been proposed for the site where the stars would form the iconic Sabbathian cross logo. The bench would be handmade by some of the last remaining craftsmen in the country who is capable of such work.
The proposal also includes plans for a bridge in town to be named for the band, making Birmingham a full-on tourist destinations for superfans such as the Cairo-based consultant architect Mohammed Osama who is the brainchild behind many of these plans. He told BirminghamLive, "My vision is to reunite the four original members for the unveiling of the stars and 'Metal Bench' (the crowning jewel of the whole project)."
These plans are being supported by the Home of Metal, an organization that celebrates "music from Birmingham and The Black Country," including other influential acts like Led Zeppelin, Judas Priest, Napalm Death and Godflesh. With such projects in the works as an exhibition at the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery next summer, the organization says of the groups, "Apart from their postal codes and accents, all of these bands share a common trait in that they all were unwilling to conform to the established rules and guidelines of their respective musical scenes, and instead, embraced originality and all brought something staggeringly new." Indeed.
