In some incredibly heartening news for Black Sabbath fans (and just humankind in general, really), guitar legend Tony Iommi has revealed that his cancer is in remission.
The iconic riffmaster was diagnosed with lymphoma back in 2012, and underwent treatment for the disease in January of 2013.
And now, in the midst of Sabbath’s The End world tour – which visited Australia this past April – Iommi has been given some good news from the folks at Midlands Cancer Centre after returning for a routine check-up.
“I am in remission and hopefully, this situation will continue,” he told The Birmingham Mail. “I came back to hospital straight after we finished a round of European tour dates, and the good news is that everything is all right up to this point.”
He added that the chemotherapy and follow-up treatment “appear to have done the trick” but conceded: “I’m aware that it could come back one day”.
“I have a blood test every six weeks at my GP’s, and I come in here at regular intervals for check-ups,” he explained. “That’s something that I’ll have to live with for the rest of my life, looking for any warning signs that it might be rearing its ugly head again.”
But for now, he’s sweet as a leaf.
Iommi was – by all accounts – in fighting form during the Aussie leg of Sabbath’s final world tour.
Music Feeds’ Sydney show reviewer stated that “After all of the horrific shit that this iconic rifflord has gone through over the years – and is still in many ways going through – seeing him up there having the time of his life with his old pals Ozzy and Geezer and giving it his absolute all was basically proof that heroes exist.”
So basically, Tony Iommi is Iron Man.
Watch: Black Sabbath – Iron Man Live In Sydney 2016
