Ozzy Osbourne has declared his retirement from touring, citing his physical inability to perform. The leader of Black Sabbath informed followers that he was still battling to recuperate from a spine injury he sustained in 2019.
“I never would have anticipated that my traveling days would end in this manner,” he wrote on social media.
Injuries sustained in a near-fatal quad bike accident in 2003 were exacerbated by a fall suffered by the celebrity four years ago.
“My singing voice is in good condition,” remarked the 74-year-old. “However, despite undergoing three operations, stem cell therapies, countless physical therapy sessions, and most recently, the ground-breaking Cybernics (HAL) Treatment, my body remains physically fragile.”
Cybernetics treatment involves the use of a mechanical “exoskeleton” costing $20,000 (£16,230) to help patients regain mobility.
Osbourne canceled the remaining dates of his Europe and United Kingdom farewell tour, which was scheduled to begin in Finland in May.
Following his initial accident and the Covid-19 pandemic, the performances had been postponed multiple times.
“I am truly impressed by how patiently you’ve all held onto your tickets for so long,” stated the artist. “However, I have come to the realization that I’m not physically capable… as I know I couldn’t handle the essential travel.”
He stated that his team is “now brainstorming locations where I can perform without traveling from city to city and nation to country.”
Parkinson’s diagnosis
In recent years, Osbourne has experienced a variety of health issues, from Covid to Parkinson’s Disease, which he was diagnosed with in 2003 but did not declare publicly until 2020.
Last year, he told The Guardian that the disease had left him with mobility issues.
He stated,
“You believe you are lifting your feet, yet your foot does not move.” “I feel like I’m walking around in lead boots.
His wife Sharon Osbourne stated that the major surgery he underwent last year to remove and reposition pins in his neck and back “will define the remainder of his life.”
The successful procedure left the singer in “agony.”
In the same interview with The Guardian, he said,
“It got so awful that at one point I prayed, ‘Oh God, don’t let me wake up tomorrow morning.'”
Despite this, the celebrity performed Iron Man and Paranoid at last year’s Commonwealth Games closing ceremony in his hometown of Birmingham.
During that performance, he was supported by a back brace placed behind him.
In his statement, Osbourne described his decision to stop touring as “one of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to tell my faithful fans.”
He went on to express gratitude to his family, band, crew, and tour partner Judas Priest.
Finally, he praised his fans “for their unending devotion… and for providing me a life I never in a million years imagined I would have.”
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