Ozzy’s Touring Status is Still Up in the Air: “I’m F*cking Not Dying”
In the latest episode of SiriusXM’s Ozzy Speaks, the Prince of Darkness himself sat down with his co-host Billy Morrison to talk about how things are going after he canceled his European tour with Judas Priest due to health reasons. And despite him saying his “touring days are over,” he’s not ready to say he’ll never play live again.
“If I can ever get back to where I can tour again, fine. But right now, if you said to me, ‘can you go on the road in a month?’ I couldn’t say yes. I mean, if I could tour I’d tour. But right now I can’t book tours because right now, I don’t think I could pull them off.”
Over the last couple years, Ozzy’s ability to tour has been spotty at best, due to lingering health issues stemming from a spinal injury he suffered back in the early 2000s. Since then, it’s grown to affect his mobility, among other aspects of his life. During his chat, Ozzy said he was experiencing constant pain that at times keeps him up for house.
During the show, Ozzy said his wife and manager Sharon said he can’t keep booking tours only to cancel them. Even if he were to get clearance, he said, it would take some time before he could even begin feeling comfortable getting back on stage.
“If I get okay today. If the doctor said to me today, “oh, you can tour.” It would take another six months to get it together, you know?”
Ozzy had initially planned to go on tour to support the release of his latest album Patient Number 9, which was highly regarded by critics and some tracks even won some GRAMMYs.
At this stage in his life, Ozzy said he still wants to create new music and share it with the world, stating that it’s the only thing he’s got left at this point musically.
“The only thing I’ve got that keeps me going is making records. But I can’t do that forever. I gotta get out there.”
Following his most recent cancellation and his admission that his touring days could be coming to a close, Osbourne said he felt like a “one-legged man in a butt kicking contest,” especially after headlines read that he was finished.
“I looked in the magazine, “Ozzy’s on his last legs,” I’m fucking not dying.
“Come on, guys. Haven’t I’ve had it bad enough already?”
To see more of the interview, where he talks about winning a GRAMMY or reacting to Jeff Beck’s sudden passing, be sure to tune in to Ozzy’s SiriusXM channel today at 5 p.m. EST or catch it on the SXM App.
