Ozzy Osbourne hails Tony Iommi as 'the finest guitar player'
He also discusses working with Iommi again
Last updated 22nd Sep 2022
Ozzy Osbourne has hailed his former Black Sabbath band mate Tony Iommi as the ‘finest guitar player.’
Fresh from storming to Number 2 on the UK album chart his critically acclaimed album ‘Patient Number 9’, Ozzy has joined Planet Rock’s Loz Guest for an in-depth chat.
During the interview, which you can listen to throughout the day on Planet Rock tomorrow (23rd September), Ozzy heaped praise on Tony Iommi following their surprise performance of ‘Paranoid’ at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games closing ceremony in August.
Reflecting upon that special night in Birmingham, Ozzy told Loz: “It was good fun. It got me out of my blues because since I’ve been laid up Tony Iommi has been really helpful (and) supportive for me.
“With this pandemic, I couldn’t go anywhere you know so when I saw him at the Commonwealth Games it was good to see him. I haven’t seen him in a few years. He was great.
“I must confess, I’ve seen some fantastic things in my life but that was f---ing brilliant! That was amazing.”
Revealing that the Commonwealth Games venue Alexander Stadium is just down the road from the school he attended with Tony Iommi, Ozzy said: “I remember driving past it and I remember thinking to myself ‘If you’d have told me when I was 14 we would be playing up the road, I’d have thought you were mad!’
“It’s amazing that Tony Iommi and I have come from Aston, Birmingham and all the things we’ve done. It’s incredible. You couldn’t write it.”
Lavishing Tony Iommi with praise later in the interview, Ozzy said: “Tony Iommi is the finest guitar player. He such a great guitar player.
"Tony Iommi - I’ve said this through the good years and the bad years, whatever - Tony Iommi, he can’t stop coming up with these incredible riffs. Even now I go ‘I don’t know where you get them from!’ He goes ‘oh, do you like this one?’”
Asked by Loz if he’d like to work with Tony again, Ozzy replied: “Yeah. I wouldn’t mind. I know him (laughs). We got on so well.
“He’s always thought I was nuts and we didn’t get on for a while. But I must say, we’re getting on better than ever now. It’s very possible. I’m not gonna say ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Maybe a blues album!”
You can listen to Ozzy’s interview clips throughout the day tomorrow (23rd September) on Planet Rock.
The greatest guitar solos of all time, including three Ozzy Osbourne tracks:
75) Pink Floyd – ‘Wish You Were Here’ (1975)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
74) Iron Maiden – ‘Hallowed Be Thy Name’ (1982)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
73) Guns N’ Roses – ‘Paradise City’ (1987)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
72) Guns N’ Roses – ‘Estranged’ (1991)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
71) Bon Jovi – ‘Wanted Dead or Alive’ (1986)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
70) Iron Maiden – ‘Powerslave’ (1984)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
69) UFO – ‘Lights Out’ (1977)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
68) Neil Young – ‘Like a Hurricane’ (1977)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
67) Judas Priest – ‘Beyond The Realms of Death’ (1978)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
66) Free – ‘All Right Now’ (1970)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
65) Extreme – ‘Play With Me’(1989)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
64) AC/DC – ‘Back in Black’ (1981)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
63) UFO – ‘Love To Love’ (1977)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
62) Led Zeppelin – ‘Whole Lotta Love’ (1969)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
61) Eric Johnson – ‘Cliffs of Dover’ (1990)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
60) Stevie Ray Vaughn – ‘Little Wing’ (1984, released posthumously in 1991)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
59) Pearl Jam – ‘Alive’ (1991)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
58) Metallica – ‘Nothing Else Matters’ (1991)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
57) Fleetwood Mac – ‘The Chain’ (1977)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
56) Dragonforce – ‘Through the Fire and Flames’ (2005)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
55) Thin Lizzy – ‘Emerald’ (1976)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
54) Dire Straits – ‘Brothers in Arms’ (1985)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
53) Steve Vai – ‘For the Love of God’ (1990)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
52) Deep Purple – ‘Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming’ (1996)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
51) AC/DC – ‘Thunderstruck’ (1990)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
50) Rainbow – ‘Gates of Babylon’ (1977)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
49) Metallica – ‘The Unforgiven’ (1991)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
48) Rush – ‘La Villa Strangiato’ (1978)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
47) Pantera – ‘Cemetery Gates’ (1990)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
46) Pink Floyd – ‘Shine on You Crazy Diamond’ (1975)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
45) Dire Straits – ‘Telegraph Road’ (1982)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
44) Peter Frampton – ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ (2003)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
43) Slash – ‘Anastasia’ (2012)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
42) The Beatles – ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ (1968)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
41) Pink Floyd – ‘Time’ (1973)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
40) Genesis – ‘Firth of Fifth’ (1973)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
39) Deep Purple – ‘Smoke on the Water’ (1972)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
38) AC/DC – ‘Let There Be Rock’ (1977)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
37) Megadeth – ‘Tornado of Souls’ (1990)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
36) Ozzy Osbourne – ‘No More Tears’ (1991)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
35) Metallica – ‘Fade To Black’ (1984)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
34) Marillion – ‘Easter’ (1990)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
33) Joe Bonamassa – ‘India / Mountain Time’ (2008)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
32) Ozzy Osbourne – ‘Crazy Train’ (1980)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
31) Cream – ‘Crossroads’ (1968)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
30) AC/DC – ‘Whole Lotta Rosie’ (1977)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
29) Led Zeppelin – ‘Since I’ve Been Loving You’ (1970)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
28) Queen – ‘Brighton Rock’ (1974)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
27) Metallica – ‘One’ (1989)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
26) Extreme – ‘Get The Funk Out’ (1990)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
25) Thin Lizzy – ‘Still In Love With You’ (1974)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
24) Metallica – ‘Master of Puppets’ (1986)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
23) The Jimi Hendrix Experience – ‘Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)’ (1968)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
22) Joe Bonamassa – ‘Sloe Gin’ (2007)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
21) Ozzy Osbourne – ‘Mr Crowley’ (1980)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
20) Derek & The Dominoes – ‘Layla’
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
19) Gary Moore – ‘Still Got The Blues (For You)’ (1990)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
18) Prince - ‘Purple Rain’ (1984)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
17) Deep Purple – ‘Child in Time’ (1970)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
16) Bon Jovi – ‘Dry County’ (1992)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
15) The Jimi Hendrix Experience – ‘All Along The Watchtower’ (1967)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
14) Deep Purple – ‘Highway Star’ (1972)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
13) Gary Moore – ‘Parisienne Walkways’ (1979)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
12) UFO – ‘Rock Bottom’ (1974)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
11) Dire Straits – ‘Sultans of Swing’ (1978)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
10) Queen – ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ (1975)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
9) Rainbow – ‘Stargazer’ (1976)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
8) Guns N’ Roses – ‘Sweet Child ‘O Mine’ (1987)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
7) Van Halen – ‘Eruption’ (1978)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
6) Guns N’ Roses – ‘November Rain’ (1991)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
5) Eagles – ‘Hotel California’ (1976)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
4) Led Zeppelin – ‘Stairway To Heaven’ (1971)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
3) Alter Bridge – ‘Blackbird’ (2007)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
2) Lynyrd Skynyrd - ‘Free Bird’ (1973)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
1) Pink Floyd – ‘Comfortably Numb’ (1979)
The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time