By Matt Jackson
Sharon Osbourne shared a worrying update on husband Ozzy鈥檚 health as Black Sabbath prepares to perform one last show. The band, often considered to be the pioneers of metal music, will perform for the final time at Villa Park today. While The Prince of Darkness has threatened to retire before his declining health means this could well be the last time both 76-year-old Ozzy and the band perform. Sharon, who manages her husband, originally told him his 2019 tour was to be his last. Especially because midway through, he was diagnosed with Parkinson鈥檚 disease. Ozzy had blamed an intermittent numbness in his leg on decades of drug use and binge drinking. The band postponed the European leg of the tour in order to let Ozzy recover at home. Further disaster however struck for Ozzy when he 鈥渟tupidly鈥 decided to attempt 鈥渄iving into bed鈥. The rockstar hadn鈥檛 switched his light on and thought he knew where his bed was. However he found himself crashing onto the floor. Sharon says it caused further damage to an old quadbike injury that Ozzy sustained in 2003. He was rushed to intensive care and told he would need surgery or risk becoming paraplegic. Ozzy though says it was the 鈥渨orst f***ing surgery you can imagine鈥. He now regrets the operation, fearing he should have got a second opinion on his injuries. The operation saw two metal plates put either side of Ozzy鈥檚 spine. But the screws soon became loose, causing lesions and bone fragments. 鈥淭hey still haven鈥檛 found out the damage, it鈥檚 so intricate,鈥 explains Sharon. She says the pair found another surgeon who worked to remove all of the metal from Ozzy鈥檚 spine. She added: 鈥淔ive operations later, it just f***ed his body. It was torturous for him: Parkinson鈥檚 and damage to his spine. It鈥檚 just been horrendous.鈥 Despite the injury Ozzy has continued to work. He released the critically-acclaimed album Ordinary Man in 2020 as well as follow-up Patient Number 9 in 2022. Alongside Black Sabbath bandmate Tony Iommi, Ozzy performed at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022. Although the legendary frontman had to have a bracket supporting his back through the performance. Ozzy, known for on-stage antics such as biting the head off a bat, says he was at his lowest, 鈥減raying to die in his sleep鈥 when Sharon suggested bringing back the original Sabbath line-up for a final gig. Not only that, she wanted to get bands together who had been inspired by the band. Ozzy and Tony formed the band along with drummer Bill Ward and bassist Geezer Butler in 1968. Some of the biggest names in rock signed up to play the gig having been inspired by Sabbath, including the likes of Guns 鈥榥鈥 Roses, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Slayer, Alice in Chains, and Van Halen. With Metallica, Rage Against the Machine and members of Judas Priest joining the billing, the all-day show has been named by some as the greatest ever heavy metal line-up of all time. When it comes to their own performance, Sabbath admitted they weren鈥檛 sure what it would be like. Tony says Ozzy is most likely going to be 鈥渟itting on a throne,鈥 while Ozzy says it will likely be a 鈥渃ouple of songs鈥 from the band and his solo career. Ozzy says that while he would like to say 鈥渘ever say never鈥, the concert will mark the end of a career that has seen him spending more than five decades on the road. Sharon jokes the couple will 鈥済et some ponies and chickens鈥 and retire at their Buckinghamshire home after the concert.