'I Should Have Died': Ozzy Osbourne Reflects on Why He's Still Alive After Losing Rock Star Friends
Ozzy Osbourne knows he's one of the lucky ones.
While accepting the Rolling Stone U.K. Icon Award on Thursday, November 23, the "Crazy Train" musician, 74, looked back on his wild days on the road and why he's still here on earth after losing many friends to addiction.
"I've been doing a lot of reflection while I've been laid up, and all my drinking partners, I've realized they're all f------ dead," he admitted.
"I should have been dead before loads of them. Why am I the last man standing? Sometimes I look in the mirror and go, 'Why the f--- did you make it?'" Osbourne continued. "I should have been dead a thousand times. I've had my stomach pumped. God knows how many times."
Three years ago, Osbourne revealed his Parkinson's diagnosis to the public. However, the "War Pigs" vocalist had been secretly battling the disease behind closed doors since 2003.
Earlier this year, the music icon had to cancel his tour due to his declining health and physical hurdles. "This is probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to share with my loyal fans," he began in a February Instagram statement.
"As you may all know, four years ago this month, I had a major accident where I damaged my spine," Osbourne explained of a nasty 2019 fall he suffered inside his home.
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"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 Cybernetics (HAL) Treatment, my body is still physically weak," he added.
The patriarch has become so delicate that his son, Jack Osbourne, noted that this would likely end the "Dreamer" artist's time on stage for the rest of his life. "I don’t think he’ll tour again," the famous offspring, 38, admitted.
However, Ozzy has remained positive about the future. "I’ve had all the surgery now, thank god," Ozzy explained during a 2023 interview about the state of is health.
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"I’m feeling OK – it was just dragging on. I thought I’d be back on my feet months ago, I just couldn’t get used to this mode of living, constantly having something wrong. I can’t walk properly yet, but I’m not in any pain any more and the surgery on my spine went great," he noted.
The Mirror obtained Osbourne's quotes from his speech.
Metal Hammer conducted the 2023 interview with Osbourne.