Iconic Birmingham Pub The Crown, Where BLACK SABBATH Played Its First Gig, Will Not Reopen After Failed Bid

BBC is reporting that a pub where Black Sabbath played its first gig will not reopen, according to an arts organization trying to buy it.

Plans to restore The Crown in Birmingham city centre have fallen apart, Birmingham Open Media (BOM) said. The establishment was built in 1881 and shut in 2014 after it was bought by a Japanese development company. It has remained derelict ever since and a project to restore it as a live music venue has now failed.

In its heyday, The Crown hosted other local acts that would go on to become household names, including Led Zeppelin and UB40.

BOM said it had worked tirelessly, investing more than £100k in a bid to bring the pub back. But a statement said its current owner would only sell alongside an adjacent car park and apartments, making it a high-value transaction requiring public sector funding.

Read the full report at BBC.com.

(Black Sabbath photo by Jim Simpson)