Maybe not the first heavy metal band, but pretty darn close.
Tony Iommi, the lead guitarist, was working in a sheet metal shop while trying to make it as a guitarist.
Tragically, he cut off the tips of his fingers
cutting metal on a power shear.
The doctors told him, no way you are gonna make a living
playing lead guitar. That’s over. Forget it. There is only skin covering bone on your fingertips.
After months of dispair, another musician told him of others, mainly black blues playing guys from way back, that had similar issues. Heck, one of ‘em only had 3 fingers.
Inspired, he took an old leather jacket, and fashioned little, I dunno what you’d call them, booties maybe, that he would slip over the tips of his fingers.
Plus, and this is where it gets good, he detuned his guitar,
so it wasn’t strung as tight, making it just a bit easier to play.
And created that early Black Sabbath sound.
Not bad for a guy that wasn’t supposed to be able to play.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0qanF-91aJo&pp=ygUIUGFyYW5vaWQ%3Dhttps://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DW3pZjmS3rg&pp=ygUOUGxhbmV0IGNhcmF2YW4%3Dhttps://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CrG2RsNuMlM&pp=ygUISXJvbiBtYW4%3D