According to the Gloucestershire Echo, BLACK SABBATH’s Tony Iommi and QUEEN’s Brian May attended the unveiling ceremony for a plaque honoring legendary drummer Cozy Powell (RAINBOW, MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP, BLACK SABBATH, WHITESNAKE, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) on January 7 in Cirencester, England. Also appearing at the VIP reception at the Corn Hall were DEEP PURPLE keyboardist Don Airey and ex-WHITESAKE members Neil Murray and Bernie Marsden.
May, who was good friends with Cozy, praised Powell, calling him “a brilliant innovative world-beating drummer.” He added: “He was one of the world’s greatest drummers and musicians. We have the great honor of unveiling this.”
Iommi said: “It was great to play with [Cozy]. This is a great moment.”
The event was reportedly filmed and will be included in a documentary about Cozy’s life, “Dance With The Devil – The Cozy Powell Story”, which has been in production for the last several years.
The plaque was created by Cirencester Town Council in response to a petition started by Italian woman Rossella Amadori and signed by 3,000 people.
Powell died on April 5, 1998 following a car crash while driving his Saab 9000 at 104 mph (167 kmh) in bad weather on the M4 motorway near Bristol, England. According to a BBC report, Powell’s blood-alcohol reading at the time of the crash was over the legal limit, he was not wearing a seatbelt, and he was talking to his girlfriend on his mobile phone.
Source: Blabbermouth
