The mysterious woman on the cover of Black Sabbath's debut album is raffling her autograph to raise funds for a cat rescue project

The cover of Black Sabbath's first album, and a cat — (Image credit: Vertigo Records | Cat: Alexas_Fotos)

The mysterious woman on the cover of Black Sabbath's debut album is raffling her autograph to raise money for a cat rescue project. Louisa Livingstone, whose identity was revealed five years ago after decades of speculation, will sign a hand-written letter to the raffle winner.

"Many Black Sabbath fans have asked me online for my autograph and to this day nobody has one - for a variety of reasons!" says Livingstone. "But I have now decided, at this epic time with Black Sabbath doing their last ever gig, to raffle my autograph. This way, everyone gets a chance, for a minimal outlay."

Tickets for the raffle cost just $1, with fans able to make multiple purchases to increase their chances of winning. The draw will take place on July 20, two weeks after the Sabbath show.

"The only other autographs of mine already floating around are minimal, if they even still exist," says Livingstone. "[The autographs were] given on very rare occasions after stage performances at the National Theatre in London decades ago when I was acting in various plays including Lark Rise and Candleford."

The mysterious object in Livingstone’s hands on the cover of Black Sabbath has always been the source of debate, although photographer Keith Macmillan insists it was a black cat.

"I think it might just be the way my hands are there," Livingstone told Rolling Stone in 2020. "I’m sure I could remember if it was a cat."

Livingstone also releases her own music under the name Indreba, although anyone expecting doom-laden riffs will be disappointed by the synth-friendly new song Anthem to Truth - See More, Oh Yeah. Although, to be fair, it is kinda spooky.

"Black Sabbath is just not my kind of music," she said in 2020. "I feel awful for saying it, because it’s probably not what people want to hear, but it isn’t particularly my kind of music. When I got the album, I gave it a listen and moved on."

Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 40 years in music industry, online for 27. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.