Ozzy Osbourne has opened up about his health amid his final Black Sabbath performance this summer. The rockstar is set to reunite with his band on July 5 in his hometown Birmingham at Villa Park for his Back to the Beginning show.
The concert will mark the 76-year-old’s first performance since he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2018. During an interview on SiriusXM’s podcast, Ozzy shared details of his health with the hosts and admitted he has suffered from self-confidence issues.
“My head’s crazy. ADHD – I have that badly. I will have done the show and died a death before I even started my exercises. So I try and put it on the back burner,” he shared.
“I’m not going up there saying “It’s going to be great. I’m really confident.”
He continued: “In my head I will have died on my ass. I remember being in [expletive] Vegas one time being in the dressing room going, ‘I’m going to play. I’m going to die.'”
© Axelle/Bauer-Griffin, Getty“And I talked myself into blowing the gig. It was only two [expletive] songs. Sharon goes, ‘just don’t think about it.’ I obsess about a [expletive] bird [expletive] on my show.
“But all I can say is I’m giving 120 percent. If my God wants me to do the show. I’ll do it. Sometimes if I start obsessing on the time, I’ll be insane by Friday. So I’m just taking it one day at a time,” he added.
Ozzy also explained his concern over whether he should perform standing up or sitting down following his slew of spinal operations after he suffered a spinal injury in 2003 and a fall in 2019. The star also revealed his pre-performance ritual – measuring his blood pressure 15 times a day.
© Kevin Winter“I have got this trainer guy who helps people get back to normal. It’s hard going, but he’s convinced that he can pull it off for me. I’m giving it everything I’ve got,” he shared.
“It’s endurance. The first thing that goes when you’re laid up is your stamina.
“I am having my blood pressure taken 15 times a day.. I’ve got this f***ing device on my finger. It’s a monitor to say how my heart rate is.”
The heavy metal music band entered the scene back in the early 1970s and are most known for the hit songs “War Pigs”, “Paranoid” and “Iron Man”.
© Getty ImagesDespite his health concerns, Ozzy is motivated to perform at the best of his ability. “I’ll be there, and I’ll do the best I can,” Ozzy told The Guardian. “So all I can do is turn up.”
“I do weights, bike riding, I’ve got a guy living at my house who’s working with me.
“It’s tough – I’ve been laid up for such a long time. I’ve been lying on my back doing nothing and the first thing to go is your strength. It’s like starting all over again. I’ve got a vocal coach coming round four days a week to keep my voice going.”
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