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Rock star Ozzy Osbourne has revealed he has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease.
The 71-year-old Black Sabbath front is suffering from “PRKN 2” a mild form of the disorder, and plans to travel to Switzerland for treatment.
The revelation came during an interview on ‘Good Morning America’.
Ozzy appeared with his wife and manager, Sharron, who said that the disease is: “Not a death sentence but affects certain nerves in your body. You can
have a good day, a good day, then a really bad day.”
Parkinson’s disease affects around 1 in 500 people in the UK and causes involuntary shaking and stiff muscles.
It is caused by a loss of nerve cells in the brain. There is no cure but advances in treatment have meant sufferers can have a reasonable life
expectancy.
The rock legend said he found out he had the disease after a fall last February, which required surgery.
The Birmingham-born singer said: “I did my last show [on] New Year’s Eve (2018). Then I had a bad fall.
“I had to have surgery on my neck, which screwed all my nerves.”
He said the surgery and his Parkinson’s both mean he needs medication for nerve pain, saying: “A year ago next month I was a shocking state.
“I’m on a host of medication, mainly from surgery… I’ve got numbness down this arm from surgery, my legs feel like they’re going cold, I don’t know if
that’s from the Parkinson’s.”
The couple, who live in the US, plan to travel to Switzerland to get treatment.
Sharron said during the interview: “We’ve kind of reached a point here in this country where we can’t go any further because we’ve got all the answers
we can get here.
“So in April, we’re going to a professional in Switzerland. And he deals with… getting your immune system at its peak.”
Ozzy’s physical well being has been the subject of gossip over the last couple of years and he had previously denied suffering from the disease
after cancelling dates in Australia, New Zealand, and Japan last February.
The wild man of pop originally said the cancellations were due to pneumonia but said it was best to “own up” for the sake of his fans.
The Osbourne family have often been quite open about their lives and famously starred in a reality TV show ‘The Osbournes’ but kept Ozzy’s
diagnosis a secret until now.
“To hide something is hard” said Ozzy, “you never feel proper. You feel guilty. I’m no good with secrets. I cannot walk around with it anymore. It’s
like I’m running out of excuses.”
Despite his diagnosis, the Crazy Train singer said he was keen to get back touring, saying he was feeling “a lot better than I was last February.”
Sharron agreed and said: “This is the longest he’s ever been home. It’s time for him to get back on the road because he’s driving me mad.”
The star formed Black Sabbath in 1969 with bass player Geezer Butler, drummer Bill Ward and guitarist Tony Iommi. Together, the foursome made some
of the most popular music of the 1970s and are often credited with getting heavy metal music into the mainstream.
As well as the heights he reached with Black Sabbath, Ozzy has released 11 solo albums. The star has cumulatively sold more than 100 million records
across the globe.