Tony Iommi Signs On As TV Talent Show Mentor - Noise11.com
Tony Iommi, Black Sabbath, Noise11, 2013, Ros O'Gorman, Photo

Tony Iommi, Black Sabbath, Photo By Ros O'Gorman

Tony Iommi Signs On As TV Talent Show Mentor

by Roger Wink, VVN Music on June 4, 2015

in News

Tony Iommi, guitarist for Black Sabbath, is about to become a TV talent show mentor.

Sky Arts in Britain will be airing the show Guitar Star looking nationwide “to find extraordinary guitar talent of all ages and style.” The winner of the competition will perform on the main stage of the Latitude Festival.

Guitar experts Nitin Sawhney, Helen Sanderson and Huey Morgan head up the audition rounds, where competing guitarists are tested on their ability to play in a style of their choice and demonstrate outstanding skill and ability, whether their jam is rock, classical, jazz or acoustic.

Throughout the process, players will be mentored by some of the biggest guitar stars in the world – Tony Iommi, Lee Ritenour, Rodrigo y Gabriela and Miloš Karadaglić. They’ll then perform at music’s most iconic venues, with the lucky semi-finalists perfecting their sound in a studio session with a legendary producer and a global guitar legend.
Iommi has a specific type of guitarist that he would like to find. “I’d like someone who plays from the soul as opposed to somebody learning every single note and getting everything perfect.

“The idea is to listen and absorb as much as you can and when you play, give it all you’ve got from the heart as opposed to a book or copying or learning. It’s got to come from within and show what you do and what you’re capable of doing.”

Here’s Iommi talking more about his idea of a great guitarist:

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