TONY IOMMI's Longtime Guitar Tech MIKE CLEMENT Dies

Tony Iommi's longtime guitar tech Mike Clement passed away earlier today (Monday, November 28). The news of his death comes seven months after it was reported that Mike was in "an induced coma" after taking a "serious tumble while working at his business."

The legendary BLACK SABBATH guitarist shared a photo of him with Clement on Twitter and he included the following message: "It's a very sad day for me today. Mike Clement my dear old friend and my guitar tech for the last 33yrs passed away this morning. Mike was a really lovely man very loyal and I could depend on him 100%. My deepest condolences go out to his family and his many friends. RIP."

Iommi's BLACK SABBATH bandmate, bassist Geezer Butler, shared Tony's tweet and added: "Very sad news today about the passing of Mike Clement, Tony's long time guitar tech and one of the greatest people to ever grace this Earth. We shared many a fun time together, on and off the road. A true wonderful gentleman and scholar. RIP Mike."

Clement has worked with the legendary BLACK SABBATH guitarist tech for more than three decades. Before hooking up with Iommi, Clement was MOTÖRHEAD's tech for three and a half years.

According to Home Of Metal, Clement "fell" into the rock and roll industry in the mid-'70s while still at college in Manchester. Mike became a lighting designer working with a diverse range of artists in the late '70s, including Roy Harper, UK SUBS and WAH HEAT. After a drunken encounter with an old friend, Ian Wilson from Sad Café, at local watering hole Mulberries, he was persuaded to take a new career direction looking after backline, taking up the challenge he spent the next four years working with MOTÖRHEAD, looking after Lemmy and Michael "Würzel" Burston. In early 1990, he got a call to be guitar tech for SABBATH and has been there ever since.

In February 2017, SABBATH finished "The End" tour in Birmingham, closing out the quartet's groundbreaking 49-year career.

"The End" was SABBATH's last tour because Iommi — who was diagnosed with lymphoma in late 2011 — can no longer travel for extended amounts of time.

Iommi revealed his cancer diagnosis in early 2012, shortly after SABBATH announced a reunion tour and album. He underwent treatment throughout the recording of the disc, titled "13", and the subsequent tour to promote it.