Legendary metal icon Ozzy Osbourne has announced his retirement from touring and canceled all upcoming European and UK show dates.
Sharing the difficult news on Twitter on February 1st, the former Black Sabbath frontman wrote, “probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to share with my loyal fans.”
Osbourne’s touring days have been plagued by health issues over the past few years, stemming from a fall at his Los Angeles home in 2019 which required neck surgery.
Despite undergoing three operations, stem cell treatments, countless physical therapy sessions, and even groundbreaking Cybernics (HAL) Treatment, the rockstar wrote, “my body is still physically weak.” He continued, “I am honestly humbled by the way you’ve all patiently held onto your tickets for all this time, but in all good conscience, I have now come to the realization that I’m not physically capable of doing my upcoming European/UK tour dates, as I know I couldn’t deal with the travel required. Believe me when I say that the thought of disappointing my fans really fucks me up, more than you will ever know.”
This is probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to share with my loyal fans… pic.twitter.com/aXGw3fjImo
— Ozzy Osbourne (@OzzyOsbourne) February 1, 2023
Despite the heart-wrenching news, Osbourne expressed his gratitude to his fans, family, band, crew, and lifelong friends. “I love you all…,” he wrote.
The singer’s wife Sharon recently opened up about her husband’s health struggles, including his diagnosis with Parkinson’s Disease in 2003, which he publicly announced in 2020.
Despite these challenges, Osbourne has continued to make music, releasing his 13th studio album in September of 2022 which received critical acclaim, earning four Grammy nominations including Best Rock Performance, Best Metal Performance, Best Rock Song, and Best Rock Album.
Refunds are available at the point of purchase for the rescheduled ‘No More Tours 2’ shows, which were pushed back multiple times due to the musician’s health and the pandemic before being rescheduled for 2023.
The tour was set to include stops in Nottingham, Newcastle, Glasgow, Manchester, Dublin, London, and Birmingham in May and June.
Osbourne wrote, “Never would I have imagined that my touring days would have ended this way.”
Heartbreaking for fans all around the world.
