The Crown pub in Birmingham city centre was the first place Ozzy Osbourne, Bill Ward, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler played live together
The Crown on Station Street has had a Black Sabbath makeover(Image: Central BID)
An ailing Birmingham pub famous for being the first place Black Sabbath performed together has been given a facelift ahead of the band’s final show.
The Crown pub on Station Street has had its graffiti-marred frontage cleaned up and the window boards replaced with photographs of Ozzy Osbourne, Bill Ward, Geezer Butler and Tony Iommi.
The original line-up will play together for one last time on Saturday, July 5, a gig being touted as ‘the greatest heavy metal show ever’.
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The pub is owned by Japanese company Toyoko Inns and for the last 11 years it has sat empty, with campaigners pushing to protect the future of the now Grade II-listed venue.
While plans to give it a new lease of life have not been forthcoming in that time, an architect working with the firm did confirm to BirminghamLive on June 5 that works would begin on transforming it.
Justin Risley, of Manchester architects Stephenson Hamilton Risley (SHR) Studio, said that works to improve the frontage would be completed ahead of Black Sabbath’s final show.
Jim Simpson’s pictures have gone up on the front of Station Street pub The Crown(Image: Central BID)
That came to pass yesterday (Wednesday, June 18) when images provided by Jim Simpson were added to the windows of the pub.
Jim Simpson was the promoter of Henry’s Blueshouse, which hosted Black Sabbath’s first gig. He was also the band’s first manager, playing a significant role in their early career, including changing their name from ‘Earth’ in the fledgling years.
The makeover of the pub was arranged with Central BID, which says that the works were funded by Toyoko Inns.
Central BID is also behind the creation of the huge Black Sabbath mural that’s being worked on at Navigation Street.
It is also working with Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery on the creation of a special Ozzy Osbourne exhibition and the outdoor photography and artwork display, with both set to open next week.
The Crown(Image: Central BID)
Some 200,000 people are expected to visit Birmingham on the weekend of the final Black Sabbath show, with significant events planned in the world of food and drink and sport as well as music.
The Crown is likely to be among the most photographed spots in the city that weekend, alongside Black Sabbath bridge and Ozzy the bull in New Street Station.
Meanwhile, hospitality venues across the city that are still open and thriving will be putting on heavy metal-themed events and live screenings to celebrate the founding fathers of a genre.
It’s not yet known what the fate of The Crown will be outside of the new frontage.
Justin Risley told BirminghamLive that plans would be revealed in due course, leaving those passionate about protecting and celebrating Birmingham’s music heritage waiting for updates.
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