Ozzy Osbourne's former manager explains why Birmingham should be designated 'City of Music'
The original manager of Black Sabbath today pledged his full support for Birmingham’s bid to be designated a Unesco 'City of Music'.
Jim Simpson praised Birmingham Council for its 'adventurous and exciting' bid which would see the Second City join Liverpool, Glasgow and Belfast in holding the globally recognised status.
Mr Simpson, who became manager of Ozzy Osbourne and Tony Iommi’s Earth band in 1969, relaunching them as Black Sabbath and releasing their first two legendary albums Black Sabbath and Paranoid in 1970, said gaining the status would help Birmingham get the worldwide recognition it deserved.
Now 88, Mr Simpson continues to be a leading figure in the Midland music scene as the driving force behind the Birmingham Jazz and Blues Festival.
He said: “I fully support Birmingham City Council’s adventurous and exciting bid for ‘City of Music’ status.
“Black Sabbath’s global popularity alone qualifies Birmingham as the birthplace of heavy metal, but the city has so much more music to celebrate on top of that.
“Important bands that also originated in the city include Dexys Midnight Runners, Duran Duran, Fine Young Cannibals, Musical Youth, The Nightingales, Ocean Colour Scene, The Spencer Davis Group, The Move and ELO – and those are just a few that spring to mind.
“As well as history, you’ve got the current live music scene in so many genres, including top jazz and blues, and some of the world’s best classical music from the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.
“For the city council to be looking at how to package this all up as Birmingham’s bid for ‘City of Music’ status is a fantastic idea, and I’m keen to help this succeed in any way I can.”
Mr Simpson’s comments follow the approval of a £1 million culture fund in Birmingham City Council’s latest budget, approved earlier this month.
Councillor John Cotton, leader of Birmingham Council, said the money would be used to help bid for ‘City of Music’ status, celebrating Birmingham’s rich musical heritage.
The council is expected to release its bid plans shortly, but they are known to include The Crown, the vacant pub on Station Street in the city centre, then the home of the now legendary Henry’s Blueshouse, where Black Sabbath played their first gig under Mr Simpson’s early management.
Mr Simpson added that he had now contacted Cllr Cotton direct to offer his assistance.
As well as his Black Sabbath background, Mr Simpson’s Big Bear Music company today operates three live music nights a week in and around the city, and is planning this year's annual jazz and blues festival, which is in its 42nd year.
The festival will this year run for 10 days from July 24 to August 2, 2026 and is expected to involve well over 150 performances, mostly free, in scores of venues. Last year saw the festival host 179 performances, 166 of them free, in 101 venues, to an audience of nearly 65,000.
The live nature of the festival and its longevity since 1984 has been highlighted by other cultural figures as a potentially important part of Birmingham’s City of Culture bid.
Andrew Kirkman, professor of music at Birmingham University, said: “The City of Music bid is a great idea, and I hope very much that it will reflect the sheer pleasure that the Birmingham Jazz & Blues Festival gives to so many people every year.
“I’ve enjoyed the festival so much myself, especially experiencing how other people make a whole day of it going around different gigs to see and hear such astonishing quality, and most of it free.
“I remember last year being blown away by amazing performances by the amazing jazz trumpeter Bruce Adams and sax player Alan Barnes, some of the best live music-making I’ve ever heard, and completely free of charge. The festival provides great and ongoing value for Birmingham's music scene, which basks in the quality of jazz musicians who visit the city year after year.”
Councillor Deborah Harries, who holds the arts and culture brief for the Liberal Democrats in Birmingham, also backed the bid.
She said: “We welcome the £1m culture fund in the council’s recent budget, which includes plans to develop a bid for City of Music status to celebrate Birmingham’s rich musical heritage.
“However, it’s important to also recognise the vibrant music scene that exists in the city today. Jim Simpson’s Birmingham Jazz & Blues Festival has its own 40-year history in the city and will again this summer attract musicians from all over the world, to hundreds of mostly free events across the Midlands.”
The status as a ‘City of Music’ is designated by Unesco in recognition of musical heritage, having a vibrant music scene and commitment to integrating music into urban development. More than 75 cities worldwide currently have that status.
