Ozzy Osbourne’s name is synonymous with the rock star lifestyle; but in recent years, the Black Sabbath frontman has suffered a series of debilitating blows to his health that have left him unable to perform.
In recent years, Ozzy’s health battle has grown worse, particularly after a failed spinal surgery in 2019, which caused further complications.
His woes began back in 2003, when Ozzy was involved in an ATV accident; this led to extensive back surgery, where he had metal rods placed in his spine. He claimed that he hadn’t walked properly since.
Ozzy’s spinal setbacks
Ozzy’s spinal issues didn’t stop in 2003; sixteen years later, the rocker suffered a nasty fall in his home, which dislodged the metal rods and kick-started his long health journey.
“It really knocked me about,” he told Rolling Stone UK of the accident. “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 [rod] in my spine.“ Ozzy shared that doctors also found a tumor in his back at the time, “so they had to dig all that out too”.
Since the fall, the 76-year-old has had multiple spinal surgeries to fix the damage, with little luck.
Living with pain and Parkinson’s
© GettyHe revealed how his quality of life has diminished since the 2019 fall thanks to the immense pain he is living with in an episode of The Osbournes Podcast.
“What’s happening now…in my back, the two discs and the muscles on my shoulders have separated from my skeleton, and that’s why I lean forward as it’s like gravity is bringing my head forward,“ he explained. “I was thinking when [the doctor] was saying it, ‘I’ve walked like that all my life.’“
“My lower back is…I’m going for an epidural soon because what they’ve discovered is the neck has been fixed,“ he said ahead of the 2023 surgery. “Below the neck there’s two vertebrae where the bike hit me and disintegrated, there’s nothing left of ’em.”
“All I know is…is right now I’m in a lot of pain. I’m in a lot of discomfort.” To add to his health woes, Ozzy was also diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in the same year as his fall; the ordeal has led the singer to cancel a slew of tour dates, disappointing fans with the ever-changing schedule.
The toll on the Osbournes
© Getty ImagesBy his side through it all has been his wife, Sharon, who shared with Rolling Stone UK just how challenging his health journey has been for the whole family.
“It’s been nearly five years of heartache, and at times, I’ve just felt so helpless and so bad for Ozzy to see him going through the pain,“ she told the publication. “He’s gone through all these operations, and the whole thing has felt like a nightmare.”
“He hasn’t lost his sense of humor, but I look at my husband, and he’s here while everyone else is out on the road. This is the longest time he hasn’t ever worked for. Being at home for so long has been so foreign to him.”
Ozzy’s last hurrah
© Icon SportswireOzzy still holds out hope that he will take to the stage one last time for a tribute to his loyal fans; however, that window of opportunity is closing due to his rapidly declining health.
“I’m taking it one day at a time, and if I can perform again, I will,“ he told Rolling Stone UK. “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. But as time has gone on, I’ve just gone, ‘Well, maybe I’ve just got to accept that fact.‘”
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