Tony Martin (rock singer)
Encyclopedia
Anthony Martin Harford (born 19 April 1957), better known by his stage name Tony Martin, is a heavy metal
vocalist best known for his work with Black Sabbath
from 1987 to 1991 and again from 1993 to 1997. Martin was the band's second longest serving vocalist after Ozzy Osbourne
. Martin has since been involved in many other projects (such as the Tony Martin Band, M3
, The Alliance, Misha Calvin
, The Cage, Giuntini Project II, Phenomena
's Psychofantasy album).
Despite performing almost exclusively as a vocalist, Martin is a multi-instrumentalist
, stating in an interview that he plays guitar
, bass
, drums
, violin
, keyboards
, harmonica
, bagpipes
, and pan pipes. On his 2005 solo album Scream, Martin performed vocals, bass, drums, violin and additional guitar parts.
Live Albums:
Compilations:
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
vocalist best known for his work with Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
from 1987 to 1991 and again from 1993 to 1997. Martin was the band's second longest serving vocalist after Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
. Martin has since been involved in many other projects (such as the Tony Martin Band, M3
M3 (band)
M3 is an experimental rock group founded by brothers Roger Miller, Ben Miller and Larry Miller. Their name is a dual reference to the three M surnames, and also pun on the musical notation for a minor third....
, The Alliance, Misha Calvin
Misha Calvin
Misha Calvin is a Serbian rock guitarist and songwriter.A native of Yugoslavia, Calvin arrived in London sometime in the mid 80s. He worked with ex-Black Sabbath vocalist Tony Martin and Elegy vocalist Ian Parry, producing the album Evolution, released by Vienna Records in 1993.Two years later...
, The Cage, Giuntini Project II, Phenomena
Phenomena (band)
Phenomena is a rock concept around a supergroup formed by record producer Tom Galley, Metalhammer magazine founder Wilfried Rimensberger and Tom's brother, Whitesnake guitarist Mel Galley. Contributors were leading rock musicians such as Glenn Hughes, Brian May, Tony Martin and John Wetton amongst...
's Psychofantasy album).
Despite performing almost exclusively as a vocalist, Martin is a multi-instrumentalist
Multi-instrumentalist
A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments.The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument to be learned , but people who double on another instrument are not usually seen as multi-instrumentalists.-Classical music:Music written for Symphony...
, stating in an interview that he plays guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, keyboards
Musical keyboard
A musical keyboard is the set of adjacent depressible levers or keys on a musical instrument, particularly the piano. Keyboards typically contain keys for playing the twelve notes of the Western musical scale, with a combination of larger, longer keys and smaller, shorter keys that repeats at the...
, harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
, bagpipes
Bagpipes
Bagpipes are a class of musical instrument, aerophones, using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. Though the Scottish Great Highland Bagpipe and Irish uilleann pipes have the greatest international visibility, bagpipes of many different types come from...
, and pan pipes. On his 2005 solo album Scream, Martin performed vocals, bass, drums, violin and additional guitar parts.
with Black Sabbath
Studio Albums:- The Eternal IdolThe Eternal IdolThe Eternal Idol is the thirteenth studio album by Black Sabbath, released in December 1987. It is the first of several Black Sabbath albums to feature longtime vocalist Tony Martin. It spent six weeks on the Billboard 200 chart, peaking at 168. It was also the last full album of new material by...
(1987) - Headless CrossHeadless CrossHeadless Cross is the fourteenth album by heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released in April 1989.This is the band's second album to feature singer Tony Martin and the first to feature drummer Cozy Powell.-Album information:...
(1989) - TYR (1990)
- Cross PurposesCross Purposes-Personnel:*Tony Martin – vocals*Tony Iommi – guitars*Geezer Butler – bass*Geoff Nicholls – keyboards*Bobby Rondinelli – drums-References:"Evil Eye" was written by Martin, Iommi and Butler with Eddie Van Halen, but Van Halen was not credited, due to his affilliation with Warner Bros...
(1994) - Forbidden (1995)
Live Albums:
- Cross Purposes LiveCross Purposes LiveCross Purposes Live is a live album recorded by the British metal band Black Sabbath. It was released in 1995. It is the only live-record with singer Tony Martin. It was available only as part of CD and VHS double-pack. The CD was housed within an oversize videotape-case but had its own inserts and...
(1995)
Compilations:
- The Sabbath StonesThe Sabbath Stones (album)The Sabbath Stones was the last album to be released by Black Sabbath with IRS Records.The album is a compilation of Sabbath tracks ranging from 1983's Born Again to 1995's Forbidden, and was never formally released in the US or Canada....
(1996)
with Aldo Giuntini
- The Giuntini Project II (1999)
- The Giuntini Project III (2006)
Solo
- Back Where I BelongBack Where I BelongBack Where I Belong is former Black Sabbath singer Tony Martin's first solo album. It was recorded after Martin was briefly replaced in Black Sabbath by Ronnie James Dio in the early nineties. It was released in 1992. Martin played all the instruments himself when recording demos for the album, but...
(1992) - Scream (2005)
- Who Put the Devil in Santa (2009-single)
- The Book Of Shadows (TBA)
Current solo band members
- Tony Martin - Vocals, Drums, Bass, Violin, Guitar
- Geoff NichollsGeoff NichollsGeoff Nicholls is a musician and keyboardist, who is best known as the longtime sideman for the heavy metal band Black Sabbath. Nicholls also played in the NWOBHM band Quartz before joining Black Sabbath...
- Keyboards - Joe Harford - Guitar
- Jamie Mallender- Bass
- Danny Needham - Drums
First album
- Brian MayBrian MayBrian Harold May, CBE is an English musician and astrophysicist most widely known as the guitarist and a songwriter of the rock band Queen...
- Guitars (2) - Tony Martin - Guitars (2,3,4 (solo),5,6,7,8,9,10,11 (acoustic)
- Paul Wright - Guitars (2)(solo),7,9,10)
- Adrian DawsonAdrian DawsonAdrian Dawson is a British author of thriller and horror fiction, currently best known for his 2010 debut novel Codex....
- Guitars (2 (solo),7,(solo)9,(solo),10 )) - Carlo Fragnito - Guitars (1,4,7,9,10,11,13)
- Neil MurrayNeil Murray (British musician)Philip Neil Murray is a Scottish bass player, best known for his work in Whitesnake and Black Sabbath.-Early days:Originally a drummer, Murray formed his first band with school friends in 1967 and his musical tastes were heavily influenced by the mid-1960s 'blues boom' bands and musicians,...
- Bass (1,2,3,4,7,10,11,13) - Laurence CottleLaurence CottleLaurence Cottle is an electric bass guitarist and composer.-Career:His solo recordings have been mostly in the jazz and jazz-fusion vein, with such notable releases as Five Seasons, Laurence Cottle Quintet Live and others....
- Bass (5,6,8,9) - Zak StarkeyZak StarkeyZak Starkey is an English rock drummer. He is the son of Beatles drummer Ringo Starr and Starr's first wife Maureen Starkey Tigrett. He is also well known for his unofficial membership in the English rock band The Who, with whom he has performed and recorded since 1996. He is also the third...
- Drums (2,3,8,9,10,11) - Nigel GlocklerNigel GlocklerNigel Glockler is an English drummer for the NWOBHM band, Saxon.His first professional musical experience was the UK band Krakatoa, followed by session work. He joined Toyah Willcox's band in late 1980...
- Drums (1,4,6,7,13) - Richard Cottle - Keyboards & Saxophone (1 (Key+Sax),2,3,4,7,8,9,10,11)
- Geoff NichollsGeoff NichollsGeoff Nicholls is a musician and keyboardist, who is best known as the longtime sideman for the heavy metal band Black Sabbath. Nicholls also played in the NWOBHM band Quartz before joining Black Sabbath...
- Keyboards (5,6,12,13)
Touring
- Rolf Munkes - Guitar
- Joe Harford - Guitar (Martin's son)
- Geoff Nicholls - keyboards
- Jamie Mallender - Bass
- Danny Needham - Drums