There are few things in rock ‘n’ roll more iconic than a crowd of sweaty, black-clad heavy metal fans, fists in the air, two fingers raised like pitchforks to the sky. The “devil’s horns” isn’t just a hand gesture—it’s a battle cry for those who choose to keep the flames of metal alive forever. A secret handshake. A tribal chant forged in distortion and molten metal. But who actually invented this worldwide symbol of all things hard, loud, and gloriously unholy?
With the legendary Black Sabbath set to take its final bow on July 5 in their hometown of Birmingham, England, there’s no better time to dive into the origins of one of heavy metal’s most enduring symbols: the iconic devil’s horns. Who truly brought this gesture into the heart of the genre? Let’s break it down.
Dio’s Bond with Fans Inspires Legendary Salute
The story begins—where else?—with Black Sabbath. And not, as many believe, with Ronnie James Dio. Long before Dio’s mighty pipes lured audiences to the Dark Side, it was Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler who first threw the horns. The year was 1968. The setting: a photo shoot for Sabbath’s earliest incarnation. The image? Butler curling his fingers into the now-infamous salute—middle and ring finger down, pinky and index finger up, thumb across the palm. Proof? You bet your leather pants there is. Geezer’s got the photo to back it up. No TikTok filters. No staged Instagram lighting. Just pure, proto-metal attitude caught on film.
So, why does Dio get the credit? Well, credit where it’s due—Dio did for the devil’s horns what Jimi Hendrix did for the Stratocaster. He took an idea and turned it into a movement. When Dio replaced Ozzy Osbourne as Sabbath’s frontman in 1979, he knew he had big (and bat blood-stained) shoes to fill. Ozzy had his peace sign—a groovy remnant of flower power days. But Dio? He wanted something different. Something darker. Something that screamed “I command the night!”
With Butler’s blessing, Dio started flashing the horns onstage. It stuck. The fans flashed it back. It spread like wildfire. Suddenly, every denim-and-leather disciple in the pit was doing it. By the early Eighties, the horns were as essential to metal as guitar solos and Marshall stacks. If you were at a Dio show—or Maiden, Priest, or early Metallica—you didn’t just hear the music. You felt it. Two fingers in the air, devil’s horns high. And if it was a power ballad? Cue the sea of Bic lighters, flickering like some unholy cathedral.
Italian Culture Provides ‘Evil’ Backstory
The iconic devil’s horns’ roots stretch back centuries, particularly within Italian culture, where it was traditionally used to ward off the “malocchio,” or evil eye. It took on new life thanks to Ronnie James Dio (ne Padavona), who famously credited his Sicilian grandmother with teaching him the gesture as a form of protection.
Drawing from his heritage and theatrical flair, Dio transformed the age-old sign into a rallying cry for heavy metal fans everywhere.
Unmasking of ‘Devil’s Horns’ History Goes Wrong
Of course, no story in rock would be complete without a little controversy. Enter Gene Simmons, the blood-spitting, fire-breathing rock icon behind KISS. Simmons has claimed he invented the gesture, even trying to trademark it in 2017. But Gene’s version—thumb outstretched—looks suspiciously like the American Sign Language (ASL) symbol for “I love you.” And in true comic-book fashion, Simmons admitted he lifted it from Spider-Man, who’s been web-slinging that gesture since the 1960s.
On a related note, a ubiquitous rumor claims that it was John Lennon who introduced the “devil’s horns” gesture in a 1969 promotional photo with The Beatles.
However, upon closer inspection, Lennon’s gesture is actually the ASL sign for “I love you,” which combines the letters I, L, and Y into one gesture. While visually similar, the confusion is understandable but unfounded.
Still, it was in the electric haze of a packed metal show in the awesome Eighties, where sweat, feedback, and wafts of pot and cigarette smoke swirled in the air, that the horns truly found their home. It was more than a gesture—it was a pledge of allegiance to a sound that would never die.
Let’s get real. The devil’s horns belong to the fans, especially the Eighties’ “Metal Era” fans who first popularized it, but its roots trace back to Geezer Butler, with Ronnie James Dio as its undisputed ambassador. What began as a flick of the wrist in a photo shoot became a universal symbol of rebellion, unity, and righteous noise. And over the decades, it leapt genres—from Slayer to Slipknot, from Billie Eilish to Justin Bieber. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.) It’s even popped up in cartoons, commercials, and Marvel movies.
So, no, Gene. Nice try. But this ain’t your party.
Now, put on some Dio-era Sabbath, crank up the amps, raise those horns, and bang your head to the heavy metal heroes who started it all.
Long live metal. \m/
SUNSETandCLARK.blog 