Ozzy Osbourne says Tony Iommi is the best guitarist he played with

Black Sabbath was formed in Birmingham, England back in 1968 by Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Ozzy Osbourne and Bill Ward. They simply created Heavy Metal music, influenced countless generations of artists all over the world and became one of the best-selling bands of all time. By the late 70s, due to addiction problems the band fired Osbourne and he launched a successful solo career and he had many incredible musicians in his solo band over the decades. Randy Rhoads, Jake E. Lee and Zakk Wylde are some of the most famous guitarists, for example, that he worked with as a solo act.

But in an interview for his new podcast “The Madhouse Chronicles“, the singer said that the Black Sabbath co-founder and guitarist Tony Iommi was the best one he worked with. Ozzy noted that although other guitarists copied note by note the Sabbath songs, they never really played exactly like Iommi can play.

Ozzy Osbourne says Tony Iommi is the best guitarist he played with

“That’s the thing about a band like Black Sabbath: we came from the streets and we knew our stuff. Tony Iommi was, and is, the best fucking guitar player I’ve ever played with.”

“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.”

“I’ve played (Sabbath songs) ‘Paranoid’, ‘Children Of The Grave’ and ‘War Pigs’ (with other guitarists). They do the notes, but it’s not the same! (Although American players) play too fast, Tony Iommi, for whatever reason, is fucking great,” Ozzy Osbourne said.

Iommi is the only member of Black Sabbath who was part of all the albums the group released over the decades. He kept the band alive when Ozzy, Geezer and Bill were no longer part of it.