After announcing his retirement from touring earlier this year due to health issues, Ozzy Osbourne caught up with Metal Hammer to update fans about his current condition. Revealing his ‘final surgery,’ he said:
“I’ve had all the surgery now, thank god. I’m feeling okay – it was just dragging on. I thought I’d be back on my feet months ago; I just couldn’t get used to this mode of living, constantly having something wrong. I can’t walk properly yet, but I’m not in any pain anymore, and the surgery on my spine went great.”
The singer shared his plans for the next year and added:
“I’m getting myself fit. I’ve done two albums fairly recently [2020’s ‘Ordinary Man’ and 2022’s ‘Patient Number 9’], but I want to do one more album and then go back on the road. I’m just starting to work on it now, and we’ll [he and Andrew Watt] be recording in the early part of next year. I want to take my time with this one!”
A while ago, Osbourne was scheduled to perform at the Power Trip Festival at the Empire Polo Club, joining the lineup with AC/DC, Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Tool, and Iron Maiden. But, in July, he announced the change of plans on Instagram by writing:
“As painful as this is, I’ve had to make the decision to bow out of performing on Power Trip in October. My original plan was to return to the stage in the summer of 2024, and when the offer to do this show came in, I optimistically moved forward. Unfortunately, my body is telling me that I’m just not ready yet, and I am much too proud to have the first show that I do in nearly five years be half-assed.”
Following this, Judas Priest announced its addition to the festival headliners as the singer’s replacement with a public statement. When asked about this change during the recent interview, Osbourne commented:
“It’s brilliant; Rob [Halford] ‘s a great singer, and they’re a very good band. He’s been a very dear friend of mine, and he’s one of the greatest rock singers of all time.”
Judas Priest’s show will take place on October 7, along with AC/DC. The festival will open with performances by Guns N’ Roses and Iron Maiden on the first day, with Metallica and Tool closing it on October 8.
