Iommi denies Black Sabbath reunion plans

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 18 (UPI) -- Rocker Tony Iommi says Britain's Birmingham Mail newspaper misquoted him as saying a reunion of his heavy-metal band Black Sabbath is on the horizon.

The Los Angeles Times said the British newspaper reported Iommi had indicated the group, which was formed in 1969 and whose original members last played together in 1997, planned to reunite for an album and tour in 2012.

"I'm saddened that a Birmingham journalist whom I trusted has chosen this point in time to take a conversation we had back in June and make it sound like we spoke yesterday about a Black Sabbath reunion," Iommi said in a message on his official Web site Tuesday. "At the time I was supporting the Home of Metal exhibition and was merely speculating, shooting the breeze, on something all of us get asked constantly, 'Are you getting back together?' Thanks to the Internet, it's gone round the world as some sort of 'official' statement on my part, absolute nonsense. I hope he's enjoyed his moment of glory, he won't have another at my expense. To my old pals, Ozzy, Geezer (Butler) and Bill (Ward), sorry about this, I should have known better."