Ozzy Osbourne just released a new album, “Ordinary Man” — his first EP since 2010. However, the rocker is also dealing with some serious health issues.
In a new in-depth interview with Good Morning America, Osbourne discusses his recent health concerns, including his diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease.
In the past, Osbourne has told the media that he was diagnosed with Parkin Syndrome, a hereditary condition similar to Parkinson’s. He was also vehement that his tremors were not caused by years of drug abuse. Until now, Osbourne (who was often seen trembling on his reality show MTV’s “The Osbournes” and during other media appearances) wanted to keep his Parkinson’s diagnosis from February 2019 under wraps.
However, he decided it was time to be honest with his fans. He spoke to ABC’s Robin Roberts at length about his health concerns, with manager and wife Sharon by his side.
“I’m no good with secrets,” says Osbourne. “I cannot walk around with it any more ’cause it’s like I’m running out of excuses, you know?”
Sharon told ABC that they are in the process of searching for answers; they’ll visit a specialist in Switzerland this spring to get advice on strengthening Osbourne’s immune system.
She pointed out, “There’s so many different types of Parkinson’s; it’s not a death sentence by any stretch of the imagination, but it does affect certain nerves in your body.”
The interview with Good Morning America is here:
Parkinson’s is a progressive, neuro-degenerative, non-curable disease that affects about 10 million people worldwide. It destroys neurons, affecting the ability of the body’s nerve cells to communicate with each other and with the brain. Symptoms start with tremors, but advance to movement, balance and speech issues.
In addition to his Parkinson’s disease, Osbourne also recently had to have surgery on his neck. This was the result of a painful fall in which Osbourne fell on his face and dislodged metal rods which had previously been implanted in his body after an ATV accident in 2003. He fell off the quad bike on the grounds of his British estate, breaking his collarbone, several ribs, and vertebrae in his cervical spine.
Osbourne also dealt with surgery on his right hand due to a staph infection in 2018 and a bout of flu that turned to pneunomia in early 2019. Both events caused cancellations in his touring schedule.
On his Instagram account, he posted an image of himself enjoying ice cream after his hand surgery:
Despite these major medical procedures, the 71-year-old remains positive and says that he wants to continue making music, touring and connecting with his fans.
“They’re my air, you know,” the “Prince of Darkness” says about Osbourne fans. “I feel better. I’ve owned up to the fact that I have — a case of Parkinson’s. And I just hope they hang on and they’re there for me because I need them. I wanna see my people, you know. It’s like I’m — I miss them so much.”
Touring, he says, is his drug of choice — and it’s the lack of it that’s killing him. He reminds his fans that he has survived a lot, then ends the interview with this declaration: “I ain’t gonna go anywhere yet.”
Here’s wishing Osbourne continued recovery and support!
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Checkout Simplemost for additional stories.
