“Doctors put something down my neck and straight to my groin”: Ozzy Osbourne offers first health update since cancelling Power Trip festival show

Ozzy Osbourne
(Image credit: Ross Halfin)

Godfather Of Heavy Metal Ozzy Osbourne has given the first public update on his health since cancelling his set at this October’s Power Trip festival. The former Black Sabbath frontman, who earlier this month was replaced by Judas Priest as a co-headliner of the Californian weekender, has talked exclusively on his Ozzy Speaks radio show and revealed that he recently had a blood clot filter removed from one of his arteries.

“Last Monday, I went to have a filter removed,” Osbourne said (as transcribed by Revolver). When co-host Billy Morrison asked the singer what that meant, he answered: “When I had the blood clots in my legs, they put a filter in your artery to stop the blood clots going to your heart and your brain. It sounds worse than it is.

“The blood clots have jammed you all up,” Osbourne added. “It’s just disappointment after disappointment. Just get this thing fucking done so I can go get on with my life. They put a thing down there in my neck, straight down to my groin.”

Osbourne has been dealing with ongoing health complications since 2003, when he fractured multiple bones, including a vertebra, in an ATV accident. In 2019, the singer suffered a fall at home and postponed his planned European tour dates. He then revealed in 2020 that he has Parkinson’s disease.

In February 2023, Osbourne cancelled his rescheduled UK and European tour slated for that summer and retired from world tours, citing his health problems.

“My one and only purpose during this time has been to get back onstage,” the singer said in a statement. “My singing voice is fine. However, after three operations, stem cell treatments, endless physical therapy sessions, and most recently groundbreaking Cybernics (HAL) Treatment, my body is still physically weak.”

Set to take place on October 6-8 minus Ozzy, Power Trip promises to bring together 'six iconic bands that define loud and powerful music', with the amended line-up now reading: Guns N’ Roses and Iron Maiden (Friday, October 6), AC/DC and Judas Priest (Saturday, October 7) and Metallica and Tool (Sunday, October 8).

Matt Mills
Contributing Editor, Metal Hammer

Louder’s resident Gojira obsessive was still at uni when he joined the team in 2017. Since then, Matt’s become a regular in Prog and Metal Hammer, at his happiest when interviewing the most forward-thinking artists heavy music can muster. He’s got bylines in The Guardian, The Telegraph, NME, Guitar and many others, too. When he’s not writing, you’ll probably find him skydiving, scuba diving or coasteering.