Black Sabbath Man In Stem Cell Operation

Metal pioneer Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath is recovering after undergoing a stem cell operation on his hand.

Black Sabbath may be best known for giving the world Ozzy Osbourne, but the group's material would be nothing without the inventive riffing of Tony Iommi. Yet the metal pioneers owed their distinctive sound to an industrial accident.

Completing his final shift at a factory in Birmingham guitarist Tony Iommi had an accident, damaging the fingertips on his right hand. Undergoing medical treatment the musician felt his days as a guitarist were over.

Fashioning new 'fingertips' from plastic Tony Iommi used the lightest strings possible on his guitar and then tuned them down a step in order to protect his hands.

Accidentally inventing the damaged blues riffing that would characterise Black Sabbath, the guitarist's technique has become hugely influential and can be heard in everyone from Metallica to Wolfmother.

However Tony Iommi himself has had frequent operations on his hand. The latest involved some experimental stem cell research, which he told a recent interviewer had made a good impact.

Speaking to BBC News the guitarist confirmed: "I've already had the stem-cell treatment, so I've just got to wait now. It's been six weeks but it's feeling great."

"I'm just wearing this now because if people shake your hand I don't want to push it, I want to take it easy for a bit."

Tony Iommi added that he can still play guitar, despite still being in the recovery stage.