Sharon Osbourne made an appearance on the latest episode of Steve-O’s “Wild Ride!” podcast and says that Ozzy is “doing really good” after suffering from several medical issues last year, including a fall, neck surgery and hospitalization for the flu. She also said he is ready to begin working on another new album, after releasing his smash comeback album Ordinary Man earlier this year.
Asked for an update on Ozzy’s health, Sharon said (see video below, transcribed by Blabbermouth.net): “He’s doing good. He’s doing really, really good. He’s had a terrible, terrible injury. At one point, they thought he would never walk again, but he is — he’s walking and he’s doing great. He’s been hit by so much medically, but he’s doing good. He’s getting stronger every day.
“Oh, God. I mean, to be hit with the spinal injury, and then what it had done was it kind of started off the Parkinson’s [disease] that he had the gene for but was never activated — he just had the gene. It’s like having the breast cancer gene but it never comes into fruition — it never gets alive. And he had the Parkinson’s gene and this accident just sparked it off. So he kind of had a double dose of everything. But he’s doing good.
“It’s heartbreaking — it’s heartbreaking — to see this,” she added. “He’s had this ride in his life, and then suddenly — boom! — you are floored. And to have your health taken away… No matter what you’ve got money-wise or anything in the world, [it’s something you] can’t fix.”
When the pandemic struck, Ozzy had just released his first solo album in a decade, “Ordinary Man”, which he recorded late last year while recovering from surgery and related illnesses. The BLACK SABBATH singer had previously canceled all his 2019 tour plans and was eventually forced to also call off all his 2020 dates.
“The album was sensational,” Sharon said. “He’s starting his second album with [‘Ordinary Man’ producer] Andrew Watt right now. And you can’t stop him. He’s doing it.
“Ozzy says that as far as performing goes, he has to end it his way,” Sharon explained. “Because it was his farewell tour that he was on [before he had his accident], but he still had a year to do of that tour, and there were seats sold for the next year, but the accident stopped it all. But he said it’s not gonna end just like that — it’s gonna end his way. And he’s gonna go back out. And even if it’s just one huge show to say goodbye, he’s going to do it.”
This past May, Ozzy’s son Jack said that his father will “probably” retire “within the next five to ten years.” But Ozzy, who turned 71 last December, has repeatedly said that he is not calling it quits, despite the fact that his “No More Tours 2” — whenever it ends up happening — is being billed as his last major global trek.
Ozzy was also forced to cancel an April trip to Switzerland to see a doctor who specializes in treatment of Parkinson’s disease. The singer revealed earlier this year that he was diagnosed with the condition.