UFO Guitarist Says Ozzy Osbourne Needed Help to Be Successful

The guitarist and keyboardist for British rock band UFO says that he doesn't understand Ozzy Osbourne's appeal, and suggests that Osbourne was only successful because of the musicians around him. Neil Carter explained in an interview earlier this year that while he "like(s) Ozzy," if Osbourne was just on his own, "it would be a slightly different story."

UFO are generally considered a group that bridged the gap between hard rock and heavy metal in the 70's. VH1 ranked them No. 84 on their "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock. When Carter spoke to with the Rock Interview Series in May of this year he talked about touring with famed Osbourne guitarist Randy Rhodes and shares his thoughts about Osbourne as a singer.

Carter says (as transcribed by Guitar.com,) "I mean, I’ve never been a massive fan of Ozzy’s voice... I like Ozzy himself, and he’s a very funny man, extremely funny guy, but watching that band onstage with Tommy Aldridge, Rudy Sarzo and then you’ve got Don (Airey) sitting up in the tower. It was a great thing to watch.”

Carter goes on to say that he doesn't get the fascination with the Prince of Darkness. "I must admit, I used to watch the audience and, 19 to 20,000 people going bonkers, and watching Ozzy stomping around the stage. I mean, it’s a very strange thing. I’ve never quite understood the appeal of Ozzy, but people love him,” says the guitarist.

Carter explains that working with Rhoads on his own solo projects was incredible. “I used to just be in awe of Randy’s playing, it was so good.” Carter says that he thinks that working with musicians like Rhoads had a lot to do with why Osbourne became a megastar. “(People) actually think he’s the best thing ever, but he’s always had really good people with him. If you just had Ozzy on his own, it would be a slightly different story... He’s had great songwriters with him, and he had people like Bob Daisley (Osbourne's bass player,) who I’ve worked with for a long time, writing the lyrics.”

Some fans commenting on the YouTube posted interview take issue with Carter's thoughts on the Heavy Metal Madman, saying, "Someone is a bit jealous," "why cast shade on Ozzy to try and elevate yourself," and "Neil is not worthy of clipping Ozzy's toenails."

You can check out Carter's interview below. The 73-year-old Osbourne is currently riding the success of his latest album, Patient Number 9, which went to No. 1 on Billboard's Top Album sales chart.