Ozzy Osbourne has sadly had to cancel his live comeback tour, months after his ongoing health issues forced him to announce his retirement from touring.
The 74-year-old heavy metal rocker and frontman for Black Sabbath has had a rough time of it, having suffered from a number of ailments over the past few years.
Included in the lengthy list of health complications is a serious spine injury the Crazy Train singer sustained in a 2003 ATV accident – after which he suffered multiple fractured bones. Ozzy also had a serious fall at home in 2019 that he previously said via a Twitter update “screwed up all the vertebrae” in his neck.
So far, Ozzy’s health is still posing issues and, as such, he has been forced to pull out of Power Trip – a California hard rock festival that is set to take place in October and feature a range of talented acts like Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, AC/DC, Tool, and Iron Maiden.
“As painful as this is, I’ve had to make the decision to bow out of performing on Power Trip in October,” Ozzy wrote. “My original plan was to return to the stage in the summer of 2024, and when the offer to do this show came in, I optimistically moved forward. Unfortunately, my body is telling me that I’m just not ready yet and I am much too proud to have the first show that I do in nearly five years be half-a**ed.”
He then continued: “The band that will be replacing me on Power Trip will be announced shortly. They are personal friends of mine & I can promise that you will not be disappointed. Above all, I want to thank my fans, my band, and my crew for their unconditional loyalty and continual support. I love you all and I will see you soon. God Bless, Ozzy.”
As painful as this is, I’ve had to make the decision to bow out of performing on Power Trip in October.
— Ozzy Osbourne (@OzzyOsbourne) July 10, 2023
My original plan was to return to the stage in the summer of 2024, & when the offer to do this show came in, I optimistically moved forward.
Unfortunately, my body is… pic.twitter.com/gHWEE8VuI6
Several months ago, Ozzy announced his retirement from touring – though, fans of the Prince of Darkness have become accustomed to taking these statements with a grain of salt… Given that his first retirement announcement came in 1992.
This latest retirement revelation did leave the possibility open for further touring in the future, with the Patient Number 9 musician – who, with his band, is widely regarded with shaping the heavy metal genre – revealing that he hoped to eventually get his health to a point where he would be able to “perform without having to travel from city to city and country to country,” per Variety.
Ozzy’s tour, dubbed No More Tours II, was first announced in 2017 but has been postponed a number of times, due to both Covid and the veteran singer’s poor health.