Black Sabbath legends Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler were on hand to celebrate the dedication of “Black Sabbath Bridge” and an accompanying “heavy metal bench” on Wednesday in their hometown of Birmingham, England.
Late last year, it was announced that the iconic heavy metal band would have a bridge named after them, along with a bench bearing the names of the original members — Iommi, Butler, Ozzy Osbourne, and Bill Ward.
Today, Iommi and Butler, and thousands of fans showed up for the official dedication of the bridge and bench, with the two musicians taking a riverboat ride along the way.
When they got to the bridge, Iommi and Butler sat alongside metal placards of the four band members, which are permanently affixed to the bench.
The Birmingham Mail has posted a gallery of the day’s events, with a number of shots of Iommi and Butler enjoying the ceremony.
“The bridge name and commemorative bench are both terrific,” said Iommi in a statement prior to the event, “and we’re thrilled that everyone can now enjoy what has become a special location for Black Sabbath history.”
The renamed bridge, which is located on Broad Street, was actually unveiled during a private event in February, but this was the first official public ceremony for both the bridge and the bench. See video footage below.
Along with the bridge ceremony, the new “Home of Metal” exhibition opened at the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery today.