In the annals of rock and metal history, few stories are as legendary, or as finger-twitching, as the tale of Tony Iommi’s unfortunate factory accident. The co-founder and driving force behind the pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath, Iommi’s guitar prowess is undeniable. After all, Rolling Stone magazine didn’t just pluck his name out of thin air when they ranked him number 25 in their list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time”.

But let’s rewind the tape a bit. Picture a young 17-year-old Iommi, not yet the godfather of metal, but a regular lad working in a sheet metal factory. On what was supposed to be his last day, fate played a cruel joke. Assigned to a guillotine-type press machine, a slight misjudgment saw him placing his hand where it shouldn’t have been. The result? The tips of his middle and ring fingers on his right hand were severed, leaving him with two protruding bones.

“I was told ‘you’ll never play again’. It was just unbelievable. I sat in the hospital with my hand in this bag and I thought, that’s it – I’m finished.”
— Tony Iommi

But as they say, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Or in Iommi’s case, when life takes your fingertips, make heavy metal history. Inspired by the two-fingered jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt, Iommi decided not to hang up his guitar just yet. His solution? Homemade thimbles crafted from a melted Fairy Liquid bottle, with bits of a leather jacket for added protection. Talk about DIY!

These thimbles, while innovative, posed a new challenge. The sensation of the strings was dulled, forcing Iommi to press down harder. This led to a switch to lighter gauge strings, with banjo strings being his initial choice. And to further ease his playing, he began tuning his guitar to lower pitches, inadvertently crafting the “bigger, heavier sound” Black Sabbath would become iconic for.

“It became a burden. Some people believe the accident invented heavy metal. It helped me invent a new kind of music.”
— Tony Iommi

Indeed, Iommi’s riffs, dripping with doom and weight, set the stage for a new generation of rock and metal guitarists. His unique playing style, born out of adversity, played a pivotal role in shaping the sound of heavy metal. So, the next time you headbang to a Black Sabbath track, spare a thought for that fateful day in the factory. Sometimes, it’s the unexpected twists in life that lead to the most legendary outcomes.