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RollingStone.com
March 7 2013
Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi Writes Eurovision Song for Armenia
Guitarist pens rock ballad for annual international contest
March 6, 2013 4:20 PM ETTony Iommi will help bring the rock to this
year's Eurovision Song Contest. The Black Sabbath guitarist has
written the song that will serve as Armenia's entry in the annual
competition. According to the BBC, "Lonely Planet" is a rock ballad
and will be performed by the Armenian band Dorians.
Though he was reportedly skeptical when first contacted by Armenia's
Eurovision representatives, Iommi has a history with the Eastern
European country. After an earthquake ravaged the city of Spitak in
1988, leaving as many as 45,000 injured and 500,000 homeless, Iommi
helped raise funds for their recovery, as well as visited Armenia a
few years ago to check on the country's progress. He soon became
involved in a campaign to raise money for a music school and teamed
with Ian Gillan of Deep Purple to form WhoCares and release the
benefit album Ian Gillan & Tony Iommi: WhoCares last year.
100 Greatest Artists: Black Sabbath
"I first said, 'Oh God, I don't know' - it seemed really strange, me
doing a Eurovision song. I don't usually do that," said Iommi. "But I
said, 'I've got a rock ballad; I'll send it over'. . . The thing is,
I've always thought, 'Oh no, not the Eurovision,' and here I am in it
now."
The semifinals of this year's Eurovision contest kicks off on May 14th
in Malmö, Sweden. Iommi is currently planning a riffs-based album with
Queen's Brian May and has been working with the reunited Black Sabbath
on their new album, 13, their first with Ozzy Osbourne since 1978's
Never Say Die! The latter is set for a June release.
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/black-sabbaths-tony-iommi-writes-eurovision-song-for-armenia-20130306
March 7 2013
Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi Writes Eurovision Song for Armenia
Guitarist pens rock ballad for annual international contest
March 6, 2013 4:20 PM ETTony Iommi will help bring the rock to this
year's Eurovision Song Contest. The Black Sabbath guitarist has
written the song that will serve as Armenia's entry in the annual
competition. According to the BBC, "Lonely Planet" is a rock ballad
and will be performed by the Armenian band Dorians.
Though he was reportedly skeptical when first contacted by Armenia's
Eurovision representatives, Iommi has a history with the Eastern
European country. After an earthquake ravaged the city of Spitak in
1988, leaving as many as 45,000 injured and 500,000 homeless, Iommi
helped raise funds for their recovery, as well as visited Armenia a
few years ago to check on the country's progress. He soon became
involved in a campaign to raise money for a music school and teamed
with Ian Gillan of Deep Purple to form WhoCares and release the
benefit album Ian Gillan & Tony Iommi: WhoCares last year.
100 Greatest Artists: Black Sabbath
"I first said, 'Oh God, I don't know' - it seemed really strange, me
doing a Eurovision song. I don't usually do that," said Iommi. "But I
said, 'I've got a rock ballad; I'll send it over'. . . The thing is,
I've always thought, 'Oh no, not the Eurovision,' and here I am in it
now."
The semifinals of this year's Eurovision contest kicks off on May 14th
in Malmö, Sweden. Iommi is currently planning a riffs-based album with
Queen's Brian May and has been working with the reunited Black Sabbath
on their new album, 13, their first with Ozzy Osbourne since 1978's
Never Say Die! The latter is set for a June release.
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/black-sabbaths-tony-iommi-writes-eurovision-song-for-armenia-20130306