Ahead of the just-announced massive concert event marking the final shows of both his legendary band Black Sabbath and his iconic solo career, Ozzy Osbourne has revealed that he “can’t walk” anymore. However, his wife/manager Sharon Osbourne insists that Ozzy’s “voice is as good as it’s ever been.”
Ozzy will be taking the stage as both a solo act and as frontman of Black Sabbath at the all-star “Back to the Beginning” concert at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, on July 5th, headlining an all-day event featuring performances from Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Gojira, Alice in Chains, and many more metal acts.
For those wondering what to expect from Ozzy at his final performance, the Prince of Darkness revealed on his SiriusXM radio show on Wednesday (February 5th), “I have made it to 2025. I can’t walk, but you know what I was thinking over the holidays? For all my complaining, I’m still alive.”
The metal icon added, “I may be moaning that I can’t walk but I look down the road and there’s people that didn’t do half as much as me and didn’t make it.”
During a press event on Wednesday in which she appeared at Villa Park with Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi, Sharon gave a little more insight into Ozzy’s condition.
“He’s really great,” Sharon told NME. “He’s got Parkinson’s, which we all know, but he’s great and it doesn’t affect his voice,” while Iommi commented, “This will do him good, to do this show. It really will. That’s what it’s all about: he wants to get out and do something.”
Sharon further told The Sun, “Parkinson’s is a progressive disease. It’s not something you can stabilise. It affects different parts of the body and it’s affected his legs. But his voice is as good as it’s ever been.”
Ozzy will likely perform seated or with the aid of a supporting device that he can hold or lean onto while standing, as he did a couple years ago during brief performances at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and the NFL kickoff in Los Angeles.
Sharon noted that the concert event will be captured on film, explaining, “It’s something that needs to be documented. You know, it’s musical history.” Iommi added, “It’s certainly a very special thing, isn’t it?”