Tony Iommi Doubts About Black Sabbath’s Historic…
Tony Iommi has revealed that he was initially reluctant to bring Black Sabbath back to the stage for what would become the band’s historic Back To The Beginning farewell concert.
For Iommi, the story of Black Sabbath had already reached what he believed was its natural ending. The band’s farewell tour, The End, concluded in Birmingham in 2017, and the legendary guitarist had accepted that the final chapter had been written.
“I’d already closed the door on it,” Iommi explained. “I thought that was it.”
So when the idea of reuniting Black Sabbath for one more performance began taking shape, Iommi wasn’t immediately convinced. He admitted that he was concerned about the idea of saying goodbye once again after the band had already gone through a farewell.
“I’m the one that said, ‘I don’t know if we should do it,’” Iommi recalled.
His concern was understandable. After decades of tours, reunions and countless performances, Iommi did not want Black Sabbath to become another band that repeatedly announces a farewell only to return to the stage later.
“I didn’t want to get into that thing like all the other bands are doing, saying it’s the last tour and then reappearing again,” he said.
But there was something different about this proposal.
The concert wasn’t simply another Black Sabbath reunion. Back To The Beginning was designed as a celebration of the band’s incredible history, with profits going to charity. The beneficiaries included Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Acorns Children’s Hospice.
That charitable purpose ultimately helped change Iommi’s mind.
“I’ve been convinced, because we’re doing it for a reason,” he explained.
There was another important condition for Iommi: drummer Bill Ward had to be involved.
Ward had not been part of Black Sabbath’s final tours, making his return particularly meaningful. For Iommi, bringing the original four members Ozzy Osbourne, Iommi, Geezer Butler and Ward back together was what made the occasion feel genuinely special.
“There’d be no point” without Ward, Iommi said, explaining that the presence of the original lineup made the reunion “more proper.”
The decision proved to be one of the most emotional moments in the band’s history.
On July 5, 2025, the original Black Sabbath lineup took the stage at Villa Park in Birmingham for the Back To The Beginning concert. It marked the first time the four founding members had performed together publicly since 2005.
Iommi later admitted that the reality of the reunion was deeply moving. The band rehearsed several songs but ultimately performed a shorter four-song set featuring “War Pigs,” “Iron Man,” “N.I.B.” and “Paranoid.”
Looking back, Iommi’s hesitation makes the performance feel even more significant. He wasn’t interested in simply revisiting the past. He wanted the reunion to mean something.
And ultimately, it did.
What began with Iommi wondering whether Black Sabbath should return became a final celebration of the band’s legacy, friendship and the music that changed heavy rock forever.
