While recovering from spinal surgery, Ozzy Osbourne has declared his retirement from performing and has canceled all future appearances.
The 74-year-old rocker has been battling several health difficulties recently, including Parkinson’s disease, diagnosed four years ago.
His European tour was supposed to start in May after being postponed several times (from 2019 to 2021 to 2022), but it has now been canceled.
Ozzy played his farewell tour show, No More Tours II’s Ozzfest in Inglewood, California, in December 2018.
The Black Sabbath frontman issued a heartfelt Instagram apology to his fans, stating, “never would I have thought that my touring days would have ended this way.”
He stated that he still had health concerns and fought Parkinson’s disease seven months after the spinal surgery that saved him from paralysis.
‘This is certainly one of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to communicate with my devoted followers,’ he said. As you may be aware, I was in a serious accident four years ago this month, injuring my spine.
‘My sole goal has been to get back on stage all this time. My singing voice is in good shape. ‘Unfortunately, my body is still physically weak after three operations, stem cell therapies, innumerable physical therapy sessions, and, most recently, the breakthrough Cybernics (HAL) Therapy.’
‘Your patience truly humbles me in holding onto your tickets all this time, but in all good conscience, I have now come to the reality that I am not physically capable of doing my next European/UK tour dates, as I know I couldn’t deal with the trip involved,’ Ozzy wrote. Trust me when I tell that the prospect of failing my supporters irritates me more than you can imagine.’
‘I never expected that my traveling days would end this way,’ he continued. My team is already brainstorming locations where I can perform without going from city to city and country to country.
‘I want to thank my family……my band……my crew……my longtime friends, @JudasPriest, and of course, my fans for their unending commitment, loyalty, and love and for providing me the life I never dreamt I’d have.
‘I adore you all… Refunds are available at the place of purchase.’
After his first spinal surgery in 2019, Ozzy was told he might be disabled for life.
When he was eventually diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2019, he experienced a horrific fall that aggravated his neck injury from a quad bike accident in 2003.
In a quad bike accident on his English country estate 17 years ago, he injured eight ribs and a vertebra in his neck, and the injury triggered the repercussions of those injuries on his nerves.
He was left with 15 screws in his back, nerve pain throughout his body (neck, back, shoulders, arms), and the fear of receiving ‘bolts in his neck’ after spinal surgery.
Ozzy had two more spine surgeries in 2017, the most recent in June. ‘Thank God I found the appropriate surgeon who knows how to deal with spinal difficulties,’ he stated then. He had to cut nerves, and you had to take f*g nerve pain meds, but I’m improving.’
In August, only two months after undergoing “life-altering surgery,” the Black Sabbath leader performed at the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony in his hometown of Birmingham.
Last month, the Paranoid singer opened up about his health on his SiriusXM channel, saying, ‘It is so f****g tough because, I mean, I want to be out there.
‘I’d like to be doing it. This f*g procedure he performed. You have no idea, f*****g hell.”
‘The point is, my head is fine, my creativity is OK, my singing is fine, but I can’t f*g walk much anymore.’
‘I can’t tell you how f*g frustrating life has gotten. It’s amazing how you go through life and how one dumb thing can ruin everything for a long time. I’ve never felt sick for so long in my life.
‘The surgeon told me there was a strong chance I’d be paralyzed from the neck down if I didn’t have the procedure.’
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