Heavy metal pioneer Ozzy Osbourne has revealed he can no longer walk as he heads towards his final live performance.
The 76-year-old made the admission on his SiriusXM program Ozzy’s Boneyard, where he discussed what fans might be able to expect from his recently-announced farewell show.
“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,” he said. “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.”
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On Wednesday (Feb. 5), Osbourne announced his final live performance, which will take place at his hometown of Birmingham, England on July 5. The biggest headline is the inclusion of Black Sabbath, who will play their first show since Feb. 2017, and their first with the band’s original lineup since 2005.
Dubbed ‘Back to the Beginning’, the high-profile event will also include performances from Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax, as well as the likes of Pantera, Lamb Of God, Mastodon, Alice In Chains, Halestorm and recent Grammy Award-winners Gojira.
Songwriter and former Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, meanwhile, will serve as music director for “Back to the Beginning.” In a press release, he described the upcoming gig as set to be “the greatest heavy metal show ever.”
The event is also described as a charitable affair, with profits going towards the likes of Cure Parkinson’s, a U.K. charity working to end the disease which Osbourne was diagnosed with in 2019.
Speaking to the BBC, Osbourne’s wife and manager Sharon explained that the show was a chance for Osbourne to end a career which has been affected in recent years by numerous cancellations and health issues.
“He’s doing great. He’s doing really great,” she said. “He’s so excited about this, about being with the guys again and all his friends. It’s exciting for everyone.”
“Ozzy didn’t have a chance to say goodbye to his friends, to his fans, and he feels there’s no been no full stop. This is his full stop.”
In another interview with The Sun, Sharon added that Ozzy would be match-fit for the highly-anticipated event despite his ill health.
“He’s very happy to be coming back and very emotional about this,” she said. “Parkinson’s is a progressive disease. 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.”
