Tony Iommi shared news on Instagram that his friend Ian Gillan had been hospitalized for emergency treatment, but the wording of his initial post alarmed fans. The Black Sabbath guitarist posted about Gillan’s situation, though the phrasing of his opening sentence caused followers to briefly fear something worse before they finished reading.
Iommi’s first message began with words that fans found unsettling. He wrote in his original post: “I’m so sad to hear the news of my dear friend Ian Gillan – after being taken into the hospital for emergency treatment. Thinking of you Ian, and wishing you a speedy recovery.”
The opening triggered concern among fans who misread the tone. One follower responded: “Tony, you scared the hell out of me, I thought he died after the whole hospital thing.”
Another fan expressed similar alarm at the initial wording. “Almost had a heart attack after reading the first sentence. Praying he’s alright and well,” they wrote.
Iommi quickly edited the post to clarify his message. He shared a revised version that read: “I’d like to wish a speedy recovery to my dear friend Ian Gillan – after the sad news of being taken into the hospital for emergency treatment. Thinking of you, Ian. Tony”
The edit came after fans’ reactions made clear that the original phrasing had been misunderstood. Iommi was simply announcing Gillan’s hospitalization and offering his support during his friend’s treatment.
Iommi and Gillan have a long history together. Gillan performed as vocalist for Black Sabbath in 1983, when Iommi was the band’s guitarist. Since that time, the two musicians have maintained a close friendship. The pair joined forces in the supergroup WhoCares, which was formed to raise money to rebuild a music school in Gyumri, Armenia.
Gillan’s hospitalization on October 31, 2026, forced Deep Purple to cancel two shows at the QI Arena in Leipzig and the Sporthalle in Hamburg. The singer’s medical emergency required him to postpone the rest of the European and UK tour until further notice on the advice of his medical team and management.
This was not Gillan’s first health challenge in recent times. In a November 2025 interview, Gillan disclosed that he had only 30 percent vision. Deep Purple had already postponed the remainder of their 2026 tour dates as a result of his health situation.
