Ozzy Osbourne Announces He’s Retiring From Touring

Ozzy Osbourne has released an official statement detailing his current health struggles and how it’s ultimately lead him to cancel his upcoming U.K. tour and retire from touring entirely.

“This is probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to share with my loyal fans,” Osbourne says. “As you may all know, four years ago, this month, I had a major accident, where I damaged my spine. My one and only purpose during this time has been to get back on stage. My singing voice is fine. However, after three operations, stem cell treatments, endless physical therapy sessions, and most recently groundbreaking Cybernics (HAL) Treatment, my body is still physically weak.

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 F**KS ME UP, more than you will ever know. Never would I have imagined that my touring days would have ended this way. My team is currently coming up with ideas for where I will be able to perform without having to travel from city to city and country to country.

I want to thank my family……my band…….my crew……my longtime friends, Judas Priest, and of course, my fans for their endless dedication, loyalty, and support, and for giving me the life that I never ever dreamed I would have. I love you all…”

This news most certainly comes as a sad day for the rock and metal communities, as Ozzy Osbourne has been regarded as one of the scenes most iconic artists, and he’s been widely credited for helping bring extreme bands and genres to the mainstream’s attention. In fact, one could argue that Ozzy Osbourne has long been the ‘poster boy’ for the metal genre ever since its foundation. Despite many fans in the past criticizing Osbourne for his ventures into mainstream television and advertisement, often these critics have missed the point that Osbourne has single handedly exposed millions of people to heavy metal music by way of participating in pop-culture.

That being said, it’s not much of a surprise to see Ozzy Osbourne retire at this stage in his career. With his health and family being the main focal point in his life right now, touring doesn’t sound the least bit practical for him if he’s to retain his health, singing voice and general well being. However, it should be noted that Osbourne returning to the stage is not completely out of the question as he’s said in his statement. I’d imagine one-off shows like Osbourne did for the NFL season opener this year are a far more realistic scenario for his performing career moving forward.