Tony Iommi recently opened up about his close bond with Eddie Van Halen, recalling how their friendship began and expressing admiration for the late guitarist’s groundbreaking technique.
The two legends first crossed paths during Black Sabbath’s 1978 Never Say Die tour, where Van Halen served as the opening act. While it may have been daunting for Black Sabbath to witness such an electrifying opening performance, the tour became the foundation of a lasting friendship between Iommi, the “Lord of the Riff,” and Eddie Van Halen, the “Patron Saint of Shred.”
In a conversation with Guitar World, Iommi reflected on how Eddie was the first guitarist whose technique truly impressed him:
“The first one was Eddie Van Halen. When they toured with us early on in their career, I thought he was really good and had come up with something very different for its time. Nowadays, you can see how all the technical players have learned from Eddie. The funny thing about him was, much like me, he didn’t read music or anything. It was all from feel. He was inventing stuff just using his ears.”
Iommi also reminisced about the bond they formed during the tour:
“He was great. We became really close friends on that tour, because we went out for eight months or something like that. He used to come round to my room in the hotel, because we’d often be staying at the same one, and we’d stay up for hours talking. It was lovely, and we stayed friends through the years until he passed. He was a great friend, such a nice guy who did so much for us guitar players. I really liked Eddie.”
Reflecting on their occasional collaborations, Iommi shared a memorable encounter from Van Halen’s visit to England:
“Van Halen came over to play in England, so he got in touch with me. He was in Birmingham and wanted to meet, but we were rehearsing that day, so I didn’t think we’d get together. Then I suggested he came to rehearsal, and he said he’d love to. So that’s what he did.”
“I picked him up at the hotel, and we went by the guitar shop so he could bring one along and have a play. It was good. The other guys couldn’t believe it – at the time, it was the [‘Cross Purposes,’ 1994] lineup with Tony Martin, Bobby Rondinelli, and Geezer. I turned up with Eddie, and they were like, ‘What’s going on?’ We all ended up having a play together, and it was a lot of fun.”
Iommi’s reflections highlight not only his deep respect for Eddie Van Halen’s contributions to guitar playing but also the warmth and camaraderie they shared over the years.
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