Ozzy Osbourne Says He “Can’t Walk” Due to Parkinson’s Disease Ahead of Black Sabbath Reunion Show – Hollywood Reporter
Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood ReporterSubscribe for full access to The Hollywood ReporterOsbourne is set to reunite with original bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward for a farewell concert in July.
By
Carly Thomas
Associate Editor
Ozzy Osbourne is “very emotional” about his upcoming farewell concert with his Black Sabbath bandmates, despite not being able to walk due to his battle with Parkinson’s disease.
The “Godfather of Heavy Metal” will join the original members of Black Sabbath — Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward — for the first time in 20 years for one final show, titled The Back to the Beginning, on July 5 at Villa Park in Birmingham, England.
His wife, Sharon Osbourne, recently told The Sun that “he’s very happy to be coming back and very emotional about this.”
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“Parkinson’s is a progressive disease,” she added. “It’s not something you can stabilize. It affects different parts of the body and it’s affected his legs. But his voice is as good as it’s ever been.”
Osbourne also shared on his Sirius XM radio show Wednesday, per The Independent, “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. 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.”
Osbourne has faced several health challenges in recent years, including a fourth spinal surgery. He also revealed his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis in 2020.
A few years ago, he told Rolling Stone UK that he was “fucking pissed off at” never getting the “chance to say goodbye or thank you” to his fans due to retiring from touring. He added that his goal was to be “well enough to do one show where I can say, ‘Hi guys, thanks so much for my life,’” so he’s finally making that happen with the Black Sabbath reunion show.
“It’s my time to go back to the beginning…time for me to give back to the place where I was born,” Osbourne said in a statement on the upcoming concert, the Associated Press reported. “How blessed am I to do it with the help of people whom I love. Birmingham is the true home of metal. Birmingham forever.”
The Back to the Beginning show will also feature performances from other major metal bands including Metallica, Slayer and Alice in Chains.Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every daySign up for THR news straight to your inbox every daySubscribe for full access to The Hollywood ReporterSend us a tip using our anonymous form.
