Ozzy: “I was in agony beyond anything I ever experienced before in my life”

Ozzy Osbourne (Image credit: Sergei Bobylev\TASS - Getty)

In April this year, Ozzy Osbourne was forced to postpone all of his 2019 tour dates after he fell at home, aggravating an old injury sustained during his 2003 ATV accident.

His wife and manager Sharon later described the extent of Ozzy’s injuries and reported he'd injured his back, neck and shoulders, dislodging the metal rods that the vocalist had inserted following the 2013 incident in the process.

Now, Ozzy has spoken to Rolling Stone about the fall and talked about his long road to recovery.

He says: “I came down really, really hard. I went slam – on my face. For the first four months, I was absolutely in agony. I was in agony beyond anything I ever experienced before in my life. It was awful.

"I’m taking physical and occupational therapy classes, but the progress is very slow. They say it’s going to take at least a year. I’m hoping that I’ll be OK and ready to go by January. I’m really keeping my fingers crossed.”

Ozzy also gives details about the surgery he had following the fall and how that’s affected him.

He says: “When they do surgery on your neck, they cut through all the nerves, and it fucked everything up. So I’m wobbling all over the place. And since they cut through the nerves, my right arm feels permanently cold.”

While Ozzy is working with occupational therapists he admits that progress is slow – and reveals he’s now on blood thinners after developing blood clots in his legs.

Ozzy says: “I don’t know where they came from. The nurse told me I have to be careful if I bang myself, because there’s a blood clot and all that shit.

“It’s scary stuff. From 40 years old to 70 was OK – and suddenly you get to 70 and everything caved in on me.”

Ozzy also reveals he’s recorded around nine ideas for songs and jokes that his next album will be called Recuperation.

The Prince Of Darkness is due to return to the stage across the UK and Europe at the end of January on his rescheduled No More Tours 2 shows.

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Scott has spent 37 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in 2014 before moving into e-commerce in 2020. Scott maintains Louder’s buyer’s guides, highlights deals, and reviews headphones, speakers, earplugs and more. Over the last 12 years, Scott has written more than 11,500 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog. He's previously written for publications including IGN, Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald, covering everything from news and features, to tech reviews, video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, Marillion and Rush.