About Black Sabbath Bench and Bridge

Designed in 2017… INITIAL THOUGHTS ON THE IDEA OF A BENCH

Mike Olley, the General manager of Westside BID, and Mohammed Osama, an architect from Dubai, wanted to create something special to honour Black Sabbath in the city. Mohammed, who is also a super-fan of the band, began an online petition to get Geezer Butler a star in the Walk Of Stars on Broad Street as he hadn’t received one at the time. Thousands of fans around the globe signed the petition and Geezer was awarded a star.

Mohammed proposed moving all the band’s stars together, and creating the main tourist attraction. Mike and Mohammed discussed the idea of naming the canal bridge after the band and creating a bench in tribute to the heavy metal legends. Mohammed co-designed the bench with his friend Tarek Abdelkawi, who illustrated the band. It has been a huge success ever since.

View the original sketches…

See how the designs progresses over time

Expert Craftmanship CONSTRUCTING THE BLACK SABBATH BENCH

Brothers Ben and Phil Lungely, worked on constructing the bench together. They worked all day on the bench using vandal proof materials to keep it safe. With the help of Etch Components, a company in the Jewellery Quarter, they successfully made a product that fitted the bench design perfectly. The band’s images on the bench were adjourned by a specially crafted cross by Birmingham jeweller Adam.

An exclusive event THE Bench’s initial unveiling

The bench was first unveiled on 9 February 2019 at Saint Luke’s Church, on Gas street in Birmingham. The VIP ceremony, organised by Westside BID, was sold out to 350 fans from all over the world. Toni Iommi the lead guitarist of the group, attended the event and was the first person to sit on the bench. The event was also attended by Lord Mayor Yvonne Mosquito, and Toni was interviewed by comedian, Jasper Carrot. The international crowd of fans were excited to welcome the tribute bench to Birmingham.

Tony Iommi meets excited fans inside St Luke’s Church

The event sold out within 36 hours

Tony Iommi arrives at the church amidst devoted Black Sabbath fans

Tony Iommi with host Jasper Carrott

Tony Iommi sitting on the newly unveiled bench

Instant hit A MUST-SEE FOR FANS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

The bench was officially unveiled on the canal bridge, across Broad Street, Birmingham by Black Sabbath’s Toni Iommi, and Geezer Butler on 26 June 2019. Two stars arrived on a barge that took them under the brudge that was shortly to be named after Black Sabbath. The bench was then unveiled in its final place, on Broad Street overlooking the canal. Toni and Geezer were happy to sit on the bench, have pictures taken with fans, and celebrate the new landmark in the city.

“The bridge name and commemorative bench are both terrific and we’re thrilled that everyone can now enjoy what has become a special location for Black Sabbath history.” – Tony Iommi

Keeping it bright LOOKING AFTER OUR BENCH

The bench was refurbished in early 2021, before the reopening of Broad Street, after the Covid lockdown. The refurbishment included re-painting the portraits of the band, and fixing any marks or scratches.

The bench has to be maintained regularly to keep it shiny and clean for its visitors. In the video below, Stewart, from Etch Components, explained why the process needs to be done regularly due to the number of people who interact with the bench every day.

The bench was last refurbished in March 2021.

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