Tony Iommi has announced plans to raffle one of his personal Gibson SG guitars to support a £150,000 fundraising campaign for Birmingham’s Heartlands Hospital cancer centre.
The Black Sabbath guitarist’s charitable gesture stems from his own experience as a patient at the facility, where he received treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma over a decade ago.
Iommi’s decision to part with a guitar from his personal collection reflects his commitment to supporting the hospital unit that treated him during one of the most challenging periods of his life. “We’re putting it up to raise some money for the stuff they need here – I hope it does raise a lot,” Iommi explained (as per the BBC).
The fundraising campaign targets practical improvements to enhance patient comfort during treatment. The primary focus centres on acquiring new chemotherapy chairs designed to make lengthy treatment sessions more bearable for patients undergoing cancer care. Consultant haematologist Shankara Paneesha described the potential impact of such upgrades as “fantastic,” emphasising how additional charitable support significantly improves the patient journey.
Iommi’s personal connection to the cause runs deep. His initial diagnosis came as a profound shock, as he recalled: “To be honest, when I was told I’ve got lymphoma, I went, ‘Oh, what’s that?’ I didn’t know what it was, and then of course they explained to me what it was, and it was a terrible shock. It’s really hard when you’re going through that.”
He emphasised the importance of creating comfortable conditions for patients facing lengthy treatment sessions. “The more comfortable you can make the patient, the better,” Iommi stated.
“I know when I was in, they treated me so well, that everybody was so nice, the nurses were nice, everybody was great, and that’s what you need. To have the right environment means a hell of a lot because you’re sitting there a while being treated.”
The raffle format will provide supporters with a limited window to participate. Iommi confirmed that participants will have “a month to go on and purchase the raffle ticket” once the initiative launches. He plans to announce the raffle’s availability through his social media channels, ensuring his fanbase receives direct notification when tickets become available.
