The 74-year-old bassist and principal lyricist for the iconic heavy metal group, which formed in 1968, credited the legendary Liverpool group with influencing “the explosion of British pop music” during the Swinging Sixties and beyond.
“They had a huge impact because there was nobody else like them at the time,” he told Michigan radio station WRKR.
“Before that, my brothers were obsessed with Elvis. [Presley] People like Eddie Cochran and Buddy Holly. And there was no real English. [rock bands].
“All the British rock 'n' rollers were trying to play American style and imitate Americans. [band]”But they never made it. Then the Beatles came along and created a sound that was completely their own.”
Geezer added: “They're all literally from Liverpool, 90 miles away from where we were born. It gave us hope that British musicians could actually make it.”
“Soon after the success of the Beatles, British pop music exploded with the arrival of the Rolling Stones, the Kinks, the Who and Herman's Hermits.”
In fact, it was the “Let It Be” hitmakers that inspired frontman Ozzy Osbourne, 75, to become a musician.
He previously recalled: “I come from the back streets of Aston in Birmingham, which wasn't a very cool place when I was growing up. I used to sit on my doorstep thinking, 'How the hell am I going to get out of here?'
The “Paranoid” hitmaker continued: “I knew I was going to be a rock star for the rest of my life.”
“my son [Jack, 38] He always says to me, 'What was it like when The Beatles first came out?' And all I can say to him is, 'Imagine going to sleep in a world and waking up to a world so different and exciting that you're glad to be alive.'”
He enthused: “The Beatles are my favourites. When I met Paul McCartney it was the highlight of my life. I was so surprised how nice he was. And then I met Ringo Starr. What a great guy. The thing about The Beatles is that they always had the best melodies. All I've tried to do my whole career is put melodies over dark riffs.”