For over five decades, Ozzy Osbourne has ruled the hearts and minds of countless heavy metal fans across the world. The Prince of Darkness has had plenty of awe-inspiring and eyebrow-raising moments in his career, including infamously biting the head of a real bat while performing live or raising havoc at the Correspondents Dinner at the White House.
He is yet again in the news, not for his weird goggle-eyed acts but rather for his various health ailments. The acclaimed singer has been suffering from Parkinson’s since 2003 and recently had a fourth spinal surgery that has rendered him almost unable to walk. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Osbourne revealed unlike others he would never perform in a wheelchair despite his wish to gift his loyal fans a live performance.
Ozzy Osbourne Is Wheelchair Bound After A Fourth Spinal Surgery
The former Black Sabbath frontman has been in tabloids and press recently, apparently for being in his ‘last’ moments. However, one reading of Rolling Stone UK‘s interview of him would reveal that he is all good and well, with his quirky sense of humor still intact. The only thing not good about him is that he is almost wheelchair-bound.
In September, Ozzy Osbourne underwent a fourth spinal surgery to fix the damage caused by a 2019 fall that had dislocated the metal rods inserted in the aftermath of a serious bike crash back in 2003.
“It’s really knocked me about. 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 fucking rod in my spine. They found a tumour in one of the vertebrae, so they had to dig all that out too. It’s pretty rough, man, and my balance is all fucked up.”
Despite his 2003 Parkinson’s diagnosis, Osbourne has no tremors or very few effects, but the continuous surgeries have severely impacted him, making him homebound and retiring from touring.
Ozzy Osbourne Would Never Perform In A Wheelchair
It was in 2022 that the Prince of Darkness was last seen on the stage. However, after continuous surgeries and his balance majorly affected, Ozzy Osbourne has since been unable to perform, although he still has hopes. Despite missing what he calls ‘the best relationship of his life’, he knows he would never be on stage in a wheelchair, as he tells Rolling Stone UK.
“I’m not going to get up there and do a half-hearted Ozzy looking for sympathy. What’s the fucking point in that? I’m not going up there in a fucking wheelchair. I’ve seen Phil Collins [former member of Genesis and solo performer] perform recently, and he’s got virtually the same problems as me. He gets up there in a wheelchair! But I couldn’t do that.”
To say he has had an eventful life would be a gross understatement, for he has lived his life to the fullest. Even though Osbourne wonders why he is still alive after his surgeries, accidents, and drug-alcohol addiction, there is one regret that he carries, the chance to never have said goodbye to his many fans.
And if he can do just one show, Ozzy Osbourne will die a happy man.
