Ozzy Osbourne reveals his favourite guitarist of all time
Ozzy Osbourne is a heavy rock titan who has been lucky enough to work with a series of outstanding guitarists who have been able to bring out his talent even further. These figures include Tony Iommi in Black Sabbath and the likes of Jake E. Lee, Gus G and Randy Rhoads, but now, Ozzy has revealed his favourite.
Though throughout his career, a plethora of excellent instrumentalists have teamed up with Osbourne, he said there is a special place in his heart for Iommi, who he considers to be the best of the bunch. The two of them grew up together and became famous in unison, coming from the streets of Birmingham and taking the world by storm in the form of Black Sabbath.
“That’s the thing about a band like Black Sabbath,” said Osbourne on his new podcast The Madhouse Chronicles, “We came from the streets, and we knew our stuff, and Tony Iommi was, and is, the best fucking guitarist player I’ve ever heard.”
Osbourne claimed that Iommi’s ability stems more than just what he can play, but also the magnificently unique way of how he plays it. When he lost the tips of his fingers, most guitarists would have likely given up at that point, but Iommi found a way past it, and his devotion to the guitar comes through every time he plays it.
“It’s like the Beatles, they wouldn’t have been the same if any one of them had played [in another band], or the Rolling Stones if Mick Jagger left,” said Osbourne, “I’ve played ‘Paranoid’, ‘Children Of The Grave’ and ‘War Pigs’ [with other guitarists live over the years]. They do the notes, but it’s not the same!”
Meanwhile, Osbourne recently made it clear he is keen to return to Birmingham to play a farewell show before he stops performing live. His wife, Sharon Osbourne, made this clear on her recent Cut The Crap tour, where she said, “He won’t tour again but we are planning on doing two more shows to say goodbye as he feels like ‘I have never said goodbye to my fans and I want to say goodbye’.”
Additionally, in a Rolling Stone interview, Osbourne said he hoped to return to the stage but might have to “accept the fact” that it won’t happen.
“I’m taking it one day at a time, and if I can perform again, I will,” he said. “But it’s been like saying farewell to the best relationship of my life. At the start of my illness, when I stopped touring, I was really pissed off with myself, the doctors, and the world. But as time has gone on, I’ve just gone, ‘Well, maybe I’ve just got to accept that fact.’”