is a quintessential rock ballad by the British hard rock band Uriah Heep , released on their 1971 album Salisbury . While the song is a staple of their career, it is also highly celebrated for a notable collaboration and "reinvention" with the Romanian hard rock band Iris . The Uriah Heep Original (1971)

: Written by Ken Hensley, the band's multi-instrumentalist. Unusually, Hensley sang the lead vocals because David Byron, the band's primary singer, reportedly disliked the song and refused to record it.

: Despite its simplicity, the track builds into a "throbbing rocker" with ghostly harmonies and heavy guitar riffs toward the end. IRIS & Uriah Heep - Doamna in Negru (Lady in Black)

: It became a massive hit in Germany, reaching #1 in 1977 and spending 13 weeks at the top of the charts. The band received the Golden Lion award—the German equivalent of a Grammy—for this achievement. The Collaboration: Iris & Uriah Heep (2002)

: In 2002, they released a version of "Lady in Black" (titled Doamna in Negru in Romanian) featuring Mick Box on guitar and Bernie Shaw on vocals.