Ozzy Osbourne's decades long health battles before tragic death at 76
Rock legend Ozzy Osbourne has died at the age of 76. The Black Sabbath frontman – known across the globe as the Prince of Darkness – passed away surrounded by his family after a long battle with ill-health.
The Brummie rocker, who shot to fame with heavy metal pioneers Black Sabbath before enjoying a hugely successful solo career, had been battling Parkinson's disease in the years leading up to his death. His condition had worsened over time, leading him to finally bow out of live performance earlier this month with one final show in his home city.
Despite serious health setbacks, Ozzy was determined to give fans one last performance and had undergone an intense training and rehab programme in the run-up to his farewell show, Back To The Beginning, which took place at Villa Park in Birmingham on July 5.
Speaking ahead of the concert, his wife Sharon said: 'Ozzy's working with his therapist every single day. He's doing really well, actually. Ozzy's number one thing in life is his fans, so he's working hard to be ready for them, to make this show the perfect way to end things.'
Ozzy hadn't performed a full live set in nearly seven years and had to be helped onto stage, where he performed from a black throne due to mobility issues. But the show was packed with emotion and served as a fitting farewell to one of the most iconic figures in music history, reports the Mirror.
In a statement ahead of the show, Ozzy said: 'I couldn't have done my final show anywhere else. I had to go back to the beginning.'
Ozzy had been grappling with serious health problems for over two decades. His troubles began in 2003 after a near-fatal quad bike crash left him with a broken collarbone, fractured ribs, and a neck injury that required metal rods to be inserted into his spine. He received care from NHS staff following the accident and remained a vocal supporter of the health service ever since.
In 2019, he was admitted to hospital again after developing complications from the flu. Sharon told fans at the time: 'As some of you may have heard, Ozzy was admitted to hospital following some complications from the flu. His doctors feel this is the best way to get him on a quicker road to recovery. Thanks to everyone for their concern and love.'
That same year, he suffered a fall at his Los Angeles home, which further worsened his spine injury and led to several postponed tour dates – including a planned UK and European leg of his No More Tours 2 tour. Although he vowed not to retire, telling Rolling Stone in October 2018 that he simply wanted to 'slow my lifestyle down to a more comfortable way of living,' it became clear his days of full touring were over.
In 2020, Ozzy publicly revealed he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's, a progressive condition that affects movement and causes tremors. Speaking on Good Morning America, he said: 'I had to have surgery on my neck which screwed all my nerves. I found out that I have a mild form of…' before Sharon added: 'It's Parkin two, which is a form of Parkinson's. There are so many different types of Parkinson's. It's not a death sentence by any stretch of the imagination but it does affect the nerves in your body. It's like you'll have a good day, then a good day, and then a really bad day.'
Despite the serious nature of the disease, Sharon later said her husband's voice had remained strong. Speaking to The Sun, she said: 'He's very happy to be coming back and very emotional about this. 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's final appearance on stage earlier this month was a proud moment for both the singer and his legions of fans. After years of battling pain and undergoing countless surgeries, including major neck and back operations, the show was the culmination of sheer determination and a lifelong love for music.
Osbourne had even moved a specialist rehab therapist into his Los Angeles home to help him prepare, hoping to regain enough balance to walk freely and stand for parts of the show.
Paying tribute to his fans ahead of the concert, Ozzy said: 'I want to say thank you to my fans for always supporting me and being there for me.'
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