Black Sabbath's original manager to bring back Birmingham's legendary Henry's Blueshouse gigs

The original manager of Black Sabbath is to make Snobs nightclub in Birmingham the new home of his legendary live music programmes. From the beginning of June, Jim Simpson will relaunch his long-running Henry’s Blueshouse every Tuesday evening in Snobs’ ground floor room at 200 Broad Street in the city.

Snobs began a new era after reopening on Broad Street in March 2024. The club's original location was on the junction linking Suffolk Street Queensway before it relocated to the larger venue in Ringway Centre on Smallbrook Queensway in 2014.

Simpson is renowned for managing Ozzy and Sabbath during their first two albums Black Sabbath and Paranoid back in 1970. Today, he still runs Big Bear Records, the oldest independent British record label set up in 1968, which specialises in blues and jazz.

Henry's Blueshouse was a regular live music night that ran in Birmingham from 1968 to 1970.

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

Wayne Tracey, who has owned Snobs since 2002, said he was “delighted” to add live music to the venue’s all-round offer.

Mr Tracey said: “Our daytime operations will be for live music, sports events and somewhere to chill out. Having a ‘local pub’ will add to what Snobs does.”

Jim Simpson was the first man to put city legend Ozzy Osbourne onto a stage, and he admitted he still “tingles with excitement” every time a band sets out on a blues or rock ’n’ roll journey, which drives his enthusiasm for live music in Birmingham.

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Simpson added: “New people are always coming through. This July, as a Birmingham Jazz Festival venue, Snobs will welcome Hannah Brine. Hannah is so good she could become Britain’s Nora Jones. She is terrific.” Simpson’s Birmingham Rocks showcase promoting local bands will also be staged at Snobs, this gig playing every Sunday. Both live music nights were previously at O Bar on Broad Street, which will continue to host Big Bear Music’s other gigs every Thursday. The famous nightclub Snobs moved from Smallbrook Queensway to 200 Broad Street, where it now has two club rooms upstairs. The venue’s ground floor bar will now be hosting the free live music gigs from June. Snobs is to play a major part as one of the anchor venues for the 40th anniversary Birmingham Jazz Festival in July, which is also arranged by Simpson’s Big Bear Music company.