Pub where Black Sabbath played first ever gig secures Grade II listed status
It's been dubbed 'the birthplace of heavy metal'
Last updated 15th Mar 2024
A pub nicknamed ‘the birthplace of heavy metal’ and ‘Birmingham’s Cavern Club’ has been granted Grade II listed status.
Campaigners feared The Crown Inn on Station Street in Birmingham city centre was under threat as it has lain empty and derelict since 2014.
However, it’s been confirmed today (15th March) that The Crown has been Grade II listed by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, on the advice of Historic England.
It’s now hoped that The Crown will open its doors again in the future.
Originally named the General Elliott and thought to have opened its doors in 1876, the building was likely designed by the architect, Thomson Plevins.
Prior to its closure, The Crown is best known for being the venue where Black Sabbath (known as Earth at the time) performed their first ever gig in 1968 at Henry’s Blueshouse, which was situated upstairs inside the pub.
Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward would soon change their band name to Black Sabbath and change the history of rock music forever.
Other acts who played The Crown Inn over the decades include The Who, Status Quo, UB40, Duran Duran, Thin Lizzy, Marc Bolan, Supertramp, Judas Priest and a number of Robert Plant's pre-Led Zeppelin bands.
Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi said of The Crown Inn’s listed status: “Cities all over the UK are protecting their musical heritage, Birmingham shouldn’t be left behind.
“The Crown has huge significance to us and many other successful acts. It was one of very few venues that supported the emerging rock scene with a blues club and was home to our first ever gig.”
Louise Brennan, Historic England Regional Director (Midlands), adds: “The Crown is a one-of-a-kind building with history written in its walls. It’s a Birmingham cultural landmark that, fittingly is almost within sight of Ozzy the bull in New Street Station, and I’m really pleased that it’s being recognised with Grade II Listed status. Heavy Metal is a gift Birmingham gave to the world and The Crown is an integral part of that story.”
Music historian and founder of the Birmingham Music Archive, Jez Collins, enthuses: “The Crown holds a special place internationally for the music industry. It is the venue that Black Sabbath, then called Earth, first played the songs that would appear on their classic first two albums.
“In fact, the stage Ozzy, Tony, Geezer and Bill first stood on is still there! This is a venue that deserves its place on Historic England’s listings. But we need more. We need to ensure The Crown re-opens, we need to bring it back to life as a cultural venue, a music venue and a place people will want to visit. This brilliant news is just the beginning in the renaissance of The Crown!”
Grade II listings are granted when a building is of special architectural or historic interest considered to be of national importance and therefore worth protecting; listing provides certain protections for the building and means that listed building consent must be applied for to make any changes to that building which might affect its special interest.
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