Last week I talked about Robert E. Howard, and how he doesn’t get the recognition he deserves for being the great writer he was. He was a man, who not only was a great writer, but a writer who invented a genre: Sword and Sorcery.
Many imitators followed. But Howard was the first, and it’s a shame when someone is so original, and so unique, and such a magnificent talent, that they are dismissed by others who can never hope to match that talent. But Howard’s not the only one. Tony Iommi is another inventor of a genre, a true innovator, and a fantastic talent.
Tony WHO???
I am a musician and songwriter in addition to being a writer of novels, and I thought I’d bring up my favorite band again. Black Sabbath. The reason is because Black Sabbath’s lead guitarist, Tony Iommi, like Howard, invented a new genre. In his case a new genre of music. Heavy Metal.
Both men invented something new…something original…something that took off and exploded with popularity. And that’s a mark of greatness.
But even though both men are acknowledged by their peers, they are still amazingly unknown to the general public. I pointed that out last week concerning Howard.
Today, Heavy Metal is the mainstream of Rock music. But when Tony Iommi was the first to play it forty years ago, he was reviled. Now, it’s the in-thing and the musicians who play it KNOW he was first. They give him props. But most rock music fans have no clue who Tony Iommi is.
So here’s to the men who not only became great at what they did, but actually invented the thing that they did. Robert E. Howard – the inventor of Sword and Sorcery, and Tony Iommi – the inventor of Heavy Metal.
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