Ozzy Osbourne fighting to be fit for UK & Ireland tour after year of 'absolute agony'

After contracting a potentially deadly staph infection in autumn 2018, Ozzy’s health woes continued when he contracted flu in January, which soon developed into pneumonia in the Intense Care Unit.  

With his UK & Ireland tour already postponed, Ozzy axed all his 2019 tour dates in April following a serious fall in his bedroom that aggravated injuries he previously suffered in a 2003 quad bike accident.

In a candid new interview about his health with Rolling Stone, Ozzy said he was in “agony beyond anything I ever experienced before in my life” for four months after the fall.

The 70-year-old rock legend said he “came down really, really hard” in the fall and the injuries impeded the way fluid went down his spinal cord, so he was forced to undergo surgery.

“When they do surgery on your neck, they cut through all the nerves, and it f***ed everything up,” Ozzy said. “So I’m wobbling all over the place. And since they cut through the nerves, my right arm feels permanently cold."

Reflecting upon his lengthy road to recovery, Ozzy said: “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 (when the UK tour kicks off). I’m really keeping my fingers crossed.”

He added: “I’m used to getting up, getting on my elliptical and going for an hour or so and breaking a sweat. But I can’t do it. One day, I was doing an hour or two on the elliptical; now I can do just barely half an hour. I go out with a walking stick, and I walk up the road and I’m bushed.”

Not getting any breaks whatsoever, Ozzy also revealed that he recently developed blood clots in his legs and he’s current on blood thinners.

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

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

On a more positive note, Ozzy said he’s been receiving messages of support from his Black Sabbath band mate Tony Iommi and Korn frontman Jonathan Davis.

He has also recorded nine song ideas for a potential new album he has jokingly dubbed ‘Recuperation.’

The UK and Ireland leg of Ozzy’s No More Tours 2 trek with Judas Priest is due to take in the following dates:

JANUARY 2020
Nottingham Motorpoint Arena – Fri 31st

FEBRUARY 2020
Dublin 3Arena – Sun 2nd
Manchester Arena – Wed 5th
Newcastle Utilita Arena – Fri 7th
London The O2 – Mon 10th
Glasgow SSE Hydro – Wed 12th
Birmingham Resorts World Arena – Fri 14th