Ozzy Osbourne reveals crippling doubts ahead of final show - 'It's do or die'
Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne has admitted that he is struggling with his confidence and has a fear of dying on stage amid his battle with Parkinson's
Rock legend Ozzy Osbourne is battling self-confidence and stage fright issues as he prepares for his farewell show in the UK this summer, but promises to "to give 120 percent."
The Black Sabbath frontman admits he's plagued by self-doubt and uncertainty about how he'll perform on stage, whether seated or standing, at his Back To The Beginning finale at Villa Park, Birmingham, on July 5. The 76-year-old has confirmed that he won't be performing a full set due to his ongoing battle with Parkinson's disease and various physical ailments affecting his legs, neck and back.
Despite these challenges, the determined superstar has moved a physical therapy recovery trainer into his LA home to improve his mobility.
The iconic performer, who has fought off life-threatening addictions to cocaine and alcohol, now uses a pulse oximeter to keep track of his heart rate and oxygen levels as he races against time to perform as many hits as possible for his fans.
He defiantly declared, "By hook or by crook I am going to make this f------ gig if it is the last thing I do - well it will be." Ozzy is known as one of rock's greatest entertainers, captivating audiences with his intense performances, theatrical antics and powerful vocals.
However, the excitement of "celebrating his legacy" at the BTTB gig is overshadowed by his struggles with ADHD and self-confidence. Ozzy confessed, "My head's crazy. ADHD - I have that badly. I will have done the show and died a death before I even started my exercises. So I try and put it on the back burner.
"I'm not going up there saying, 'It's going to be great. I'm really confident.' In my head I will have died on my a--. I remember being in Vegas one time being in the dressing room going, 'I'm going to play. I'm going to die.' And I talked myself into blowing the gig. It was only two songs. Sharon goes, 'Just don't think about it.' I obsess about a bird c------- on my show.
He added, "But all I can say is I'm giving 120%. If my God wants me to do the show. I'll do it. Sometimes if I start obsessing on the time, I'll be insane by Friday. So I'm just taking it one day at a time."
When asked if he feels excited for the farewell, Ozzy responded, "Fear. Believe you me, I still get stage fright. As soon as you get on stage, it's like do or die." He then joked, "Ask him upstairs. In my case, the one below."
Ozzy, who has undergone multiple back and neck surgeries, has moved in a specialist rehab therapist to help him stand for several minutes on stage, walk more freely and feel better balance. However he is uncertain with five weeks to go whether fans will see him on a throne, mini Segway or standing. "I don't know. If I'm in a throne, okay! If I'm in a movable cart, I don't know."
He continued to Sirius XM, "I am in heavy training because I haven't done any physical work for the last seven years. By hook or by crook. I've got to make it there.
"I have got this trainer guy who helps people get back to normal. It's hard going, but he's convinced that he can pull it off for me. I'm giving it everything I've got. it's endurance. The first thing that goes when you're laid up is your stamina."
Ozzy continued, "I am having my blood pressure taken 15 times a day. I've got this f------ device on my finger. It's a monitor to say how my heart rate is. I'm constantly in training seven days a week I've got this guy who's virtually living with me and I'm in bed by seven."
Ozzy and Black Sabbath will headline their final gig on July 5 at Villa Park in Birmingham, as part of an event titled Back To The Beginning. This show will reunite the original band members – Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward – for the first time in 20 years.
The band was honored with an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006 and Osbourne received a second nod last year. In 2022, he celebrated his hometown by participating in the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games.
His fame skyrocketed further through his reality TV series The Osbournes, alongside his wife Sharon - whom he wed in 1982 and shares three children with, Aimee, Jack and Kelly. All proceeds from the July 5 concert will benefit charities such as Cure Parkinson's, Birmingham Children's Hospital and Acorn Children's Hospice, which is backed by Aston Villa.