Geoff Nicholls

Geoff Nicholls
Background information
Birth nameGeoffrey James Nicholls
Born(1944-02-29)29 February 1944
Birmingham, England
Died28 January 2017(2017-01-28) (aged 72)
Genres
Occupation(s)Musician
Instrument(s)
  • Keyboards
  • guitar
Formerly of

Geoffrey James Nicholls (29 February 1944 – 28 January 2017) was an English guitarist and keyboardist, and longtime member of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath until 2004. Nicholls also played in the NWOBHM band Quartz before joining Black Sabbath. In the 1960s/early 1970s, Geoff played lead guitar for the Birmingham bands The Boll Weevils, The Seed, Johnny Neal and the Starliners, and played keyboards for World of Oz.

Black Sabbath

Nicholls in 1986

Nicholls was originally brought in as a second guitarist when Black Sabbath doubted whether they would even continue under that name. Nicholls then switched to bass when Geezer Butler left briefly, and then became the band's keyboardist upon Butler's return and the decision to keep the Sabbath name. Nicholls' first appearance on a Black Sabbath album was on Heaven and Hell (1980), and he was credited as keyboardist on every Sabbath release from that time until 13 (2013), although he was not an official member until 1986. He remained an official member until 1991, then regained member status from 1993 to 1996. He was an unofficial member once again since the reunion with Ozzy Osbourne in 1997. Although his main role with Sabbath was on the keyboard, Nicholls also played some rhythm guitar on the reunion tours, e.g., during Iommi's solo in "Snowblind" and a few tracks during the Headless Cross (1989) and Forbidden (1995) tours.

Nicholls' touring involvement with the band ended when Adam Wakeman (a member of Ozzy Osbourne's solo band) was chosen to play keyboards during Sabbath's 2004 and 2005 tours as part of Ozzfest, and Scott Warren (Dio) handled keyboard duties on the 2007 Heaven & Hell tour.

Until his death, Nicholls played keyboards with former Black Sabbath singer Tony Martin, in his band Tony Martin's Headless Cross. Nicholls has performed on Martin's first two solo albums Back Where I Belong and Scream, and their support tours.

Death

Nicholls died from lung cancer on 28 January 2017, aged 72, surrounded by his family. "Geoff was a real true friend and supported me all the way for nearly forty years," said Tony Iommi. "I will miss him dearly and he will live in my heart until we meet again."

Albums

Studio albums with Black Sabbath

Year Album details Peak chart positions Certifications
UK
AUT
DEN
FIN
GER
NLD
NOR
NZ
SWE
SWI
US
1980 Heaven and Hell
  • Released: 25 April 1980
  • Label: Vertigo, Warner Bros.
  • Format: CD, CS, LP
9 37 22 44 25 28
  • UK: Gold
  • US: Platinum
  • CAN: Gold
1981 Mob Rules
  • Released: 4 November 1981
  • Label: Vertigo, Warner Bros.
  • Format: CD, CS, LP
12 47 45 30 29
  • UK: Silver
  • US: Gold
  • CAN: Gold
1983 Born Again
  • Released: 7 August 1983
  • Label: Vertigo, Warner Bros.
  • Format: CD, CS, LP
4 37 14 44 7 39
  • UK: Gold
1986 Seventh Star
  • Released: 28 January 1986
  • Label: Vertigo, Warner Bros.
  • Format: CD, CS, LP
27 51 17 11 78
1987 The Eternal Idol
  • Released: 1 November 1987
  • Label: Vertigo, Warner Bros.
  • Format: CD, CS, LP
66 168
1989 Headless Cross
  • Released: 1 April 1989
  • Label: I.R.S.
  • Format: CD, CS, LP
31 18 71 22 23 115
  • UK: Gold
1990 Tyr
  • Released: 20 August 1990
  • Label: I.R.S.
  • Format: CD, CS, LP
24 24 12 77 24 24
1992 Dehumanizer
  • Released: 22 June 1992
  • Label: I.R.S.
  • Format: CD, CS, LP
28 7 31 14 63 12 13 44
  • UK: Platinum
1994 Cross Purposes
  • Released: 31 January 1994
  • Label: I.R.S.
  • Format: CD, CS, LP
41 23 32 85 9 41 122
1995 Forbidden
  • Released: 8 June 1995
  • Label: I.R.S.
  • Format: CD, CS, LP
71 40 35 86 19 48
"—" denotes albums that did not chart.

Live albums

Year Album details Peak chart positions Certifications
UK
FIN
FRA
GER
NLD
NZ
SWE
US
1982 Live Evil
  • Released: December 1982
  • Label: Vertigo, Warner Bros.
  • Format: CD, LP
13 37 34 34 15 37
1995 Cross Purposes Live
  • Released: 1995
  • Label: I.R.S.
  • Format: CD
1998 Reunion
  • Released: 20 October 1998
  • Label: Epic
  • Format: CD
41 29 65 40 11 11
  • US: Platinum
  • CAN: Platinum
"—" denotes albums that did not chart.

Compilation albums

1996 The Sabbath Stones
2007 Black Sabbath: The Dio Years 151
35 32 54
2008 The Rules of Hell
"—" denotes albums that did not chart.

Singles

1980 "Heaven and Hell" Heaven and Hell
"Neon Knights" 22 "Children of the Sea" (live)
"Die Young" 41 "Heaven and Hell" (live)
1981 "Children of the Sea"
"The Mob Rules" 46 Mob Rules "Die Young" (live)
1982 "Turn Up the Night" 37 24 "Lonely Is the Word"
"Voodoo" 46
1983 "Trashed" Born Again
1986 "No Stranger to Love" Seventh Star
1987 "The Shining" The Eternal Idol
1989 "Headless Cross" 62 Headless Cross "Cloak and Dagger"
"Devil and Daughter" 81
1990 "Feels Good to Me" 79 Tyr "Paranoid" (live)
1992 "TV Crimes" 33 Dehumanizer "Letters from Earth" / "Time Machine"
1994 "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle" Cross Purposes
1998 "Psycho Man" 3 Reunion
1999 "Selling My Soul" 17
"—" denotes albums that did not chart.

Videos

Year Album details Peak chart positions Certifications
SWE
FIN
AUT
BEL
SWI
NLD
1980 Black and Blue
  • Released: 1980
  • Label: PolyGram
  • Format: VHS, LaserDisc
1991 The Black Sabbath Story, Vol. 1
  • Released: 1991
  • Label: Sanctuary
  • Format: VHS, LaserDisc, DVD
1
  • US: Platinum
  • CAN: Gold
  • AUS: Gold
1992 The Black Sabbath Story, Vol. 2
  • Released: 1992
  • Label: Sanctuary
  • Format: VHS, LaserDisc, DVD
5
  • US: Gold
1995 Cross Purposes Live
  • Released: 1995
  • Label: Picture
  • Format: VHS
1999 The Last Supper
  • Released: 1999
  • Label: Sony
  • Format: VHS, DVD
11
  • UK: Gold
"—" denotes albums that did not chart.

This page was last updated at 2024-02-11 22:28 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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