"I thought I was going to get a bolt in my neck," says Ozzy Osbourne with anguish.
He refers to the low point of his three years of rough days from a fall that "really messed me up."
Ozzy Carefully place his index finger above each side of his neck. "F***ing bolts." he repeats, louder.
He may be the Prince of Darkness of heavy rock. He once nibbled on the head of a bat, but he sure doesn't want to be Frankenstein's monster.
The name Lazarus is more appropriate as he bravely reappeared on stage this week,concluding his Games at theCommonwealth in his native Birmingham.
Ozzy's fateful fall happened in the spring of 2019 when he went to the bathroom in the middle of the night at his mansion in Los Angeles.
He aggravated a long-term injury after breaking his neck in a quad his motorcycle accident on a British property 16 years ago.
But now, after his life-altering surgery and tons of painkillers, the 73-year-old, Sharon
Ozzy, He said:
"Looking at me like this breaks Sharon's heart, but if it kills me, I'll be back on tour."
This week, As if to prove his point, Ozzy performed briefly live for the first time since New Year's Eve 2018 at the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games.
Dressed as a Christopher Lee vampire, he sang Black Sabbath's signature Paranoid with old-time Mucker and guitarist Tony Iommi.
"There is nothing better than playing Birmingham."
Considering the sheer determination written all over his face, Ozzy's already one big song of his. come to mind. iron man.
He said of his surprise appearance:
Apart from his updates, I'm on his Zoom and he's talking to Ozzy. He's at his LA home and I'm in London.
The release of his new solo his album Patient Number 9 is just around the corner. The album features an impressive array of guest appearances, including guitar god Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and the late Foo Fighters drummer. Taylor Hawkins
But first I need to get my zoom his link to work properly. It turns into a hilarious senior moment.
"I can't see you. Do you think it's my fault?" I venture.
"You are asking me," he replies incredulously. "I can't turn on the f***ing lights."
Miraculously, he appeared dressed in black but without his trademark round glasses.
Ozzy is no exception today. It's irrepressible gallows humor.
He is also a true fighter who has not given up on his dream of resuming his role as one of rock's master showmen and returning to the tour fully.
I have never been in such a bad state in such a long time. Seeing me like this breaks Sharon's heart, but if it kills me, I'll be back on tour.
"That's the only way I know," he explains. "I'm too excited to watch a video of myself on stage."
If you've read the latest reports about him, you probably imagine Ozzy as a walking medical disaster zone. .
"I don't like being put to bed," he says. "I recently had Covid and was sick like a dog for a day, but then I was fine." Diagnosed with Parkin's disease, a genetic condition that causes him to have symptoms similar to Parkinson's You may remember what happened.
But he affirms: My Parkinson's doctor said, ``I have to tell you something. say. I don't even know how anyone got it in the first place.
But it's a spinal cord injury that's plagued the lovable rogue for the past three years.
His first surgery was unsuccessful. "I was told, 'I could be paralyzed for life,'" he says. "Don't think surgeons are butchers. I was left with suffering.
But this year, Ozzy underwent two of his surgeries and said, 'I want to be back where I want to be.' It helps," he says.
June's latest check-up required him to stay in the hospital for only one night, as opposed to when his first stint went awry.
"Thank God I have found the right surgeon who knows how to deal with spinal problems," he says. ``He had to cut a nerve and you had to take nerve pain pills, but I'm doing better. but I am doing it.”
So what is his recovery routine?
"I wake up every morning and do physical therapy for an hour, and I'm slowly seeing results.
I can't shake at all. Parkinson's doctor says, 'I have to tell you something. . I don't even know how anyone got it in the first place.
"There was a hill outside my house and I told my assistant, 'Run up there as fast as you can.'"
The studio has also been working hard to prepare his album.
"I'm a bastard," he says. "Take me and let me work as long as I want. I want to get up and jump out of bed."
He hailed the loving support he received from Sharon, his family and friends. cannot be evaluated.
He said: "I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate Sharon and her children and the many people in this industry."
I give my affectionate tribute to She got me to call Andrew Watt, the producer of his last two albums. Recently, Slash called me and Tony (Iommi) has been in regular contact with me to see how I'm doing.
He asks Ozzy if he feels like he's living borrowed time, mindful of all his scrapes over the years.
With a mischievous grin, he says,
"One time I was in Albuquerque, where this cable car was 1,000 feet above him and could take him to a restaurant at the top of a small mountain," he said. begins.
Long story short, it was the night before, after a heavy dose of booze and illegal drugs (well, it was Breaking Bad land) that Ozzy was asked: . To that restaurant.” “What restaurant,” he says. "Well, you went under the roof of the cable car and stood on the roof and sang a Black Sabbath song," he replies.
Today Ozzy says: I had no clue I just did that.
"Do you miss all the hell?" I ask.
I'm a motherfucker. You can get me and make me work as long as you want. I want to wake up and jump out of bed.
"On the 4th of July my wife and I celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary and said to Sharon, 'What happened in 40 years?' I remember the early days of Sabbath well, but not much after that.
"I was on a journey and I was off the track. That's my life." So with these injuries, I've been home the longest I've ever been."
The word home is about to take on a new meaning for Ozzy. He and Sharon plan to make England their permanent base after spending decades on the West Coast of America.
"I can't wait to come back," he says. "I mean, I could be in America, but I'm British.
"The reason we didn't come back soon was because of the coronavirus, we couldn't get on the plane. And, This injury prevented me from flying.”
Ozzy will bring in equipment from LA's state-of-the-art underground studio so he can continue making music.
"I have a million dollars' worth of stuff, including a mixing board," he says, making a large windmill gesture with his arm. Listen to Jeff Beck's new album title track, or One of These Days, complete with classic Clapton solos, and you'll hear the quietly slow-moving man at work. Will be up soon.
"He has made two albums since he got sick. If it hadn't been for music, he would have gone insane," he says.
Ozzy pays particular attention to the select lyrics, adding:
You must give it to him. Forces of Nature, National Treasures, and His Album Patient Number 1, to change his title a bit.
I LOVE UKRAINE
Nice The rest of us, Ozzy, are appalled by the plight of Ukraine.
He will "crawl across the stage" to appear at a Live Aid-style event in support of Eastern European countries under attack from Vladimir Putin's Russia. deaf.
"Bob Geldof should get to it," he says. "If he told us 'we're doing' I would be there. The world needs to go, 'Hey f***ing Russia, stop.' (Good song title It sounds like.)
Ozzy adds: Across. Music is a global language, accessible to everyone. And Live Aid told the world that people were dying of hunger.
"Look at the press. The publicity went up to 9,000 degrees." I remember playing with Sabbath very well. The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, and every rock star you can think of were there.
"It would be great if we could do something like this for Ukraine." said to Why is Putin doing this? Please finish it, man.
"How can these people sleep at night when we are sending bombers and rockets to blow up children and old-age pensioners?
" If they start using nukes, you can say goodbye to your ass.
"But we have to do something or Putin will We will try in other places like, this one is at our back door.”
But Ozzy says he is amazed at the resilience of Ukrainians.
"Some Russians didn't even realize they were going to war, but their shells shattered the place.
"Whatever you can do to send relief, count me."