Ozzy Osbourne dealt with several health issues ‘5 years’ before death

Ozzy Osbourne’s passing at age 76 on July 22 marks the end of a long and difficult health battle that the legendary rocker had been fighting for years. 

Known for his powerful presence on stage, Osbourne had been quietly enduring a series of serious medical setbacks, many of which went far beyond his Parkinson’s diagnosis.

In a 2023 appearance on Piers Morgan Uncensored, the former Black Sabbath frontman opened up about the toll his health had taken on both him and his loved ones. 

“It's been five years of absolute hell for me and the family,” he shared candidly. “My family has been so supportive. I couldn't have done it without them. It's been really a bad scene.”

While fans were aware of his Parkinson’s disease, his son Jack Osbourne clarified that one of the most significant factors affecting his health was actually a neck injury sustained in 2019. 

The fall added to the damage from a previous neck injury dating back to a bike accident in 2000. 

Ozzy himself recalled, “I just got up and carried on but I had broken my neck, and I carried on working with it, and then it just everything came undone.”

The combination of neurological challenges and physical injuries made it difficult for Osbourne to continue performing in recent years. Still, his passion for music never waned. Despite limited mobility and a long period of recovery, he managed to make it back to the stage one final time. 

Just weeks before his death, on July 5, he reunited with his Black Sabbath bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward for a one-night-only show.

In May, speaking to The Guardian, Ozzy admitted how hard it had been to be away from music. 

“It’s tough—I’ve been laid up for such a long time,” he said. 

“I’ve been lying on my back doing nothing and the first thing to go is your strength. It’s like starting all over again.” Still, his resolve remained: “I’ll be there, and I’ll do the best I can. So all I can do is turn up.”

His final performance stands as a powerful farewell—one last show of strength from a rock icon who never stopped showing up.