BLACK SABBATH’s first manager JIM SIMPSON relaunches legendary Birmingham nightclub live music gigs; Video

Black Sabbath’s original manager is to make Birmingham’s famous Snobs nightclub the new home of his legendary live music programmes.

From early June, Jim Simpson (pictured above) will be relaunching his long-running Henry’s Blueshouse every Tuesday night in Snobs’ downstairs room at 200 Broad Street in the city.

Simpson is famous for managing Sabbath during their first two seminal rock albums Black Sabbath and Paranoid in 1970. Today, he still runs Big Bear Records, the oldest independent British record label established in 1968, specializing in blues and jazz.

Jim said: “We first launched Henry’s Blueshouse in 1968 at The Crown in Station Street, Birmingham, where we turned the original band Earth into Black Sabbath and welcomed acts from Status Quo to Jethro Tull. Now Henry’s Blueshouse will be here at Snobs on Broad Street, bringing with it the legends of all these years every Tuesday.”

Wayne Tracey (pictured above), who has owned Snobs since 2002, said he was “thrilled” to add live music to the venue’s full offering.

Mr Tracey said: “Our daytime operations will be for live music, sporting events and places to relax. Having a ‘local pub’ will add to what snobs do.”

And Mike Olley, managing director of the Westside BID, which looks after Broad Street, said: “We are so lucky to have Jim Simpson running live music on Broad Street and it’s great news that Henry’s Blueshouse will now be on stage in the famous Snobs nightclub. .”

Jim Simpson was the first man to put urban legend Ozzy Osbourne on stage and he admits he’s still “buzzing with excitement” every time a band goes on a blues or rock ‘n’ roll journey, which gets him excited for live music. in Birmingham.

Simpson added: “There are always new people coming up. In July, as the venue for the Birmingham Jazz Festival, snobs will welcome Hannah Brine. Hannah is so good she could become Britain’s Nora Jones. It’s great.”

Simpson’s Birmingham Rocks showcase promoting local bands will also be held at Snobs, with this gig taking place every Sunday. Both live music nights were previously at O ​​Bar on Broad Street, which will continue to host Big Bear Music’s other concerts every Thursday.

Famous nightclub Snobs has moved from Smallbrook Queensway to 200 Broad Street, where it now has two upstairs club rooms. The venue’s ground floor bar will now host free live music concerts in June.

Snobs will play a major role as one of the anchor venues for the 40th anniversary of the Birmingham Jazz Festival in July, which is also being arranged by Simpson’s company Big Bear Music.