Best known as Black Sabbath's 5th lead singer (if you don'
t count Ray Gillen) who lasted from 1987 to 1996 or so. In that
time, he produced 5 studio albums with the band: The Eternal Idol, Headless Cross, Tyr, Cross Purposes, and Forbidden. A live album, creatively titled Cross Purposes Live, was also released. Besides Ozzy Osbourne, Tony
Martin was the longest-lasting singer in Black Sabbath, excluding their 1992 reunion with Ronnie
James Dio. Despite this, The Eternal Idol is the only
Martin-era album you can still conceivably find at retail. The other four have been out of print for years now, leaving him to be perhaps Black Sabbath's least known frontman. There's been reports that these albums will be rereleased now that Sabbath's final tour has wrapped up, which will likely lead to more widespread exposure of his work.
Outside of Black Sabbath, Tony
Martin has been associated with groups such as The Cage, Empire, Phenomena, and his own
solo career.
