Ozzy Osbourne on whether he'll perform again: 'I'm taking it 1 day at a time'

Ozzy Osbourne on whether he'll perform again: 'I'm taking it 1 day at a time'

The singer underwent several surgeries following a fall in 2019.

ByAngeline Jane Bernabe

November 27, 2023, 3:31 PM

Ozzy Osbourne is opening up about whether he'll ever take the stage again.

“I'm taking it one day at a time, and if I can perform again, I will,” the former Black Sabbath lead vocalist told Rolling Stone. “But it's been like saying farewell to the best relationship of my life.”

“At the start of my illness, when I stopped touring, I was really pissed off with myself, the doctors, and the world,” he added. “But as time has gone on, I've just gone, 'Well, maybe I've just got to accept that fact.”

Musician Ozzy Osbourne performs during half-time of the NFL game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Buffalo Bills at SoFi Stadium on Sept. 08, 2022 in Inglewood, Calif.Harry How/Getty Images, FILE

The singer, who underwent several surgeries following a “bad fall” in early 2019 that damaged metal plates and screws in his back that were implanted during a prior surgery, announced in a statement earlier this year that he was done touring and canceled the remaining dates of his No More Tours II tour.

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At the time, Osbourne said “my body is physically weak” after operations, stem cell treatments for Parkinson's, and physical therapy sessions.

“It really knocked me about,” Osbourne said, speaking with Rolling Stone about his fourth surgery, which took place in September, and which he said was his last. “The second surgery went drastically wrong and virtually left me crippled. I thought I'd be up and running after the second and third, but with the last one they put a f—— rod in my spine. They found a tumour in one of the vertebrae, so they had to dig all that out too. It's pretty rough, man, and my balance is all f—– up.”

Osbourne, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2003, also wants to make clear that it was the surgeries on his spine that have prevented him from performing, not Parkinson's.

“I'm getting pissed off reading the papers and they're saying things like 'Ozzy is fighting his last battle,'” he said. “He's sung his last 'Paranoid.' You now, I don't even think about Parkinson's that much.”

“Every time I scratch my a—, they put it down to Parkinson's,” he added.

Ozzy Osbourne attends the 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards at Staples Center on Jan. 26, 2020 in Los Angeles.Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic via Getty Images, FILE

Coming to terms with the end of his time as a performer has been hard for Osbourne, who said he is grateful for his fans throughout his career. He said he hopes to make it up to them one day.

“I never got the chance to say goodbye or thank you,” he said. “My fans are what it's all about. If I can just do a few gigs… They've been loyal to me for f—— years. They write to me, they know all about my dogs. It's my extended family really, and they give us the lifestyle we have.”

“For whatever reason, that's my goal to work to,” he continued. “To do those shows. If it's at Ozzfest or somewhere, or even a f—— gig at the Roundhouse.”

He added, “If I can't continue doing shows on a regular basis, I just want to be well enough to do one show where I can say, 'Hi guys, thanks so much for my life.' That's what I'm working towards, and if I drop down dead at the end of it, I'll die a happy man.”