Swedish football star explores Birmingham’s musical roots
Former West Bromwich Albion defender Jonas Olsson has returned to Birmingham for a television documentary exploring the people, places and stories behind the city’s rich musical heritage – with a little help from one of its most important music industry figures.
Now a presenter for Swedish broadcaster Viaplay, Olsson joined football journalist and commentator Frida Nordstrand to discover a side of Birmingham beyond the football pitch. Their visit took in Broad Street, the Brasshouse pub and an interview with Jim Simpson, original manager of Black Sabbath, at his Big Bear Music offices in Quayside Tower.
What began as an exploration of the city’s culture took an unexpected turn when Simpson persuaded the Swedish crew to postpone their departure and join him at Henry’s Blueshouse on Broad Street.
The visit on Tuesday 13 October proved a fitting addition to a documentary examining the people and stories behind British footballers, told through the eyes of two Swedes who have lived and worked in England.
“We’re starting the documentary in Birmingham, as that’s where I first met Jonas, and we wanted to show our viewers what the city’s really like – the food, culture and music as well as sport,” explained Nordstrand. “Jonas loves music and we spent one-and-a-half days in Birmingham talking about all the artists who came from the city. One musician we met recommended we interview Jim Simpson, and we’re so glad we did. He’s such a great storyteller but so humble – it’s always about the music and people.”
The decision to head to Henry’s Blueshouse gave the crew the chance to experience Birmingham’s musical heritage first-hand, rather than simply talk about it.
“We were due to leave, but Jim persuaded us to attend Henry’s Blueshouse and so we postponed our departure to hang out with him and the audience. This was great for the documentary as we don’t just talk about music but hear some too,” Nordstrand added.
For Simpson, the evening offered an opportunity to share some of the remarkable history behind Birmingham’s musical reputation.
Henry’s Blueshouse originally ran from 1968 to 1970 at The Crown in Station Street, hosting bands that would go on to achieve national and international success, including Status Quo, Thin Lizzy, Jethro Tull, Supertramp and Judas Priest. It was also where Simpson discovered the original Earth, taking the band under his wing as Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward developed the sound that would make them pioneers of heavy metal under their new name, Black Sabbath.
Simpson helped launch the band’s first two albums, Black Sabbath and Paranoid, both released in 1970, before the group moved on to new management.
“It was great to meet Frida and Jonas, and to spend a great evening of music and conversation with them,” said Simpson. “I also introduced them to Chris Mason, the manager of the Brasshouse, who’s a huge Baggies fan and loved getting his picture taken with Jonas.
“Hopefully this Swedish TV documentary will now tell part of the wider story of Birmingham’s music history, and show some of the detail and quality of blues here on Broad Street.”
Olsson, now 43, made 244 appearances for West Bromwich Albion between 2008 and 2017, scoring 12 goals as a defender. He also earned 25 caps for Sweden’s national team.
The documentary, whose title has yet to be confirmed but is expected to be something along the lines of This Is England, is due to air on Viaplay this December. The streaming service is available to UK viewers through Amazon Prime.