Osbourne announces Parkison’s diagnosis

Hailey Griffin, Arts Editor

The rock legend John Osbourne, better known as Ozzy Osbourne or “The Prince of Darkness,” recently announced news of his PRKN II Parkinson’s diagnosis on Jan. 21 via Good Morning America.

In an interview with American television broadcaster Robin Roberts, Osbourne revealed that he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s after he had taken a devastating fall in his home in Beverly Hills last October.

Osbourne’s wife, Sharon, describes PRKN II as “a form of Parkinson’s.” She claims, “there are many different types of Parkinson’s…It is not a death sentence by any stretch of the imagination, but it does affect certain nerves in your body.”

According to Mayo Clinic, Parkinson’s is “a progressive nervous system disorder that affects movements. Symptoms start gradually…tremors are common, but the disorder also commonly causes stiffness or slowing of movement.” Other symptoms of Parkinson’s include rigid muscles, impaired balance and posture, loss of automatic movement and a shift in speaking and writing abilities. At this point in time, there is no known cure for Parkinson’s disease.

Osbourne posted a video on his YouTube account, in which he explains that the fall had done serious damage to the majority of his vertebrae. Despite his condition, Osbourne is still in good spirits; he cracks a joke that he has “more knuts and bolts in his neck now than his car.”

Osbourne expresses his desire to “get well enough to get back on the road again.” He claims, “that’s what’s killing me. I need it, you know. That’s my drug today; I’ve done all that other crap. Left that out of the way, I’ve survived that. And I ain’t done yet.”

Due to his condition, Osbourne had postponed his No More Tours II for the majority of 2019. If his recovery goes as planned, Osbourne’s tour is set to resume in Atlanta, Ga. on May 27, 2020. From May onwards, Osbourne will visit multiple venues throughout the U.S. and Europe.

On July 1, at the Summerfest grounds in Milwaukee, Osbourne is scheduled to play at the American Family Insurance Amphitheater. To be able to witness “The Prince of Darkness” on what is likely his last tour is an event so monumental that I wouldn’t dare miss it.