Ozzy Osbourne rejects notion of retiring after canceling tour: I’m ‘not dying’
Rocker Ozzy Osbourne isn’t going anywhere – and he certainly isn’t retiring – even though his earlier announcement that he was canceling his upcoming tour was seen as such.
The Black Sabbath veteran set the record straight on Tuesday and made an appearance SiriusXM‘s “Ozzy’s Boneyard” station to explain that his career is far from over and that he would hit the road again if he was physically able to do so.
“I did my best to try and get back on my feet. I’ve gotten to the point where (my wife) Sharon says to me, “You know what, the truth is you can’t go ahead with tour bookings and if you fail, cancel,” the 74-year-old told the host, musician Billy Morrison.
“If I can ever get back to where I can tour again, great. But if you were to say to me now, “Can you hit the road in a month?” I couldn’t say yes. I mean, if I could tour, I would tour. But at the moment I can’t book tours because I don’t think I could get them done at the moment,” the Prince of Darkness added.
Earlier this year, the “No More Tears” and “Crazy Train” singer canceled his spring tour stops in Europe, even though it had been four years since a major accident that damaged his spine and resulted in life-changing surgery last year. pins removed and realigned in his neck and back. Osbourne, who has said he is “physically unable” to cope with the grueling travel that touring entails, was angry at how his latest tour cancellation was seen as the end of his career. That, coupled with the tabloids’ focus on his frail health, frustrated him.
“This f-press can drive you crazy. I mean, I looked in the magazine, ‘Ozzy is on his last legs,” he mused. ‘I’m not dying. Come on guys, haven’t I had it bad enough already? If I get the OR today, if the doctor said to me today, ‘Oh, you can tour,’ it would take another six months to let it go, you know?
The legendary heavy metal singer said he “feels like a one-legged man in a hard-hitting competition”.
“The only thing that keeps me going is making records, but I can’t keep doing that forever. I gotta get out of there, you know? he added.
Osbourne was open to other types of performances, including possible residencies in Las Vegas or working in Los Angeles. But, he added, he is “still in constant pain” and tries to stay away from painkillers, but there are times when he “needs to take something”.
“The Osbournes” reality TV star revealed in 2020 that he had Parkinson’s disease, a brain disorder that can lead to slow movements, stiffness and loss of balance, among other things. He told The Times in 2020 that he was diagnosed with the disease in 2003 and was on medication to cope. Later that year, he said his most pressing health concerns were related to a fall he suffered in 2019 that left him in constant pain.