Who did Ozzy Osbourne deem the best guitarist he ever worked with? Black Sabbath rocker's preference revisited amid his death at 76

English singer and songwriter Ozzy Osbourne revealed in a 2024 podcast episode of The Madhouse Chronicles that fellow Black Sabbath icon Tony Iommi is the best guitarist he has ever worked with.

"A band like Black Sabbath: we came from the streets and we knew our stuff. Tony Iommi was and is the best f**king 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 been replaced, or the Rolling Stones if Mick Jagger left."

Ozzy Osbourne died on July 22 at age 76, three weeks before his scheduled retirement performance. His family released a statement announcing his death,

"It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time."

A cause of death was not specified. However, Osbourne was diagnosed with Parkinson's in the early 2000s.

More about Ozzy Osbourne's favorite guitarists

During an interview with Guitar World in 1990, Ozzy Osbourne reflected on all the guitarists he has worked with. At the time, Ozzy praised Randy Rhoads highly:

"I looked up and Randy started playing from his tiny amp. Even in my semiconsciousness he blew my mind. I told him to come by the next day and that he had the gig."

When asked how he knows if a guitarist is right or wrong, Ozzy said,

"It's like shopping for a new suit: there may be a whole rack of blue suits , but only one will grab you. There's no ritual, there's no formula. I've just been lucky that everybody's liked my taste in guitar players."

When asked about Randy's weaknesses, Ozzy said he didn't have any and showed patience because he was "a guitar teacher." He also praised Eddie Van Halen and noted that Randy and Eddie Van Halen "were at the winning post," with everyone else a close second.

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Ozzy also commented on Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai's skills. While talking about Jake E. Lee, Osbourne said that he was "fine for the first three days, then he wanted to take over."

Ozzy, when speaking about Zakk Wylde, said that Wylde had followed his career and he knew his songs better than he knew his own. Ozzy added that he wanted to discover new talent when it comes to picking guitarists, someone "that's hungry" and can kick "Eddie Van Halen's a**.'

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