Jordan Karlesson
Is The Prince of Darkness, Ozzy Osbourne, truly immortal after all?
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After multiple reports suggesting his health is on the decline, Osbourne will do the seemingly impossible and perform once again. Specifically, he’ll take to the stage Thursday at SoFi Stadium, near Los Angeles, for a special halftime performance at the Los Angeles Rams versus the Buffalo Bills game.
Calling to mind the title of Black Sabbath’s 1978 album, Never Say Die!, the 73-year-old will play a multi-song melody at the event, according to a Friday press release.
The timing of Ozzy Osbourne’s planned set is no coincidence. The day after the half-time performance, his new album, Patient Number 9, will be released.
The new studio solo album is actually Osbourne’s 13th. It includes a litany of guest performers ranging from Iommi to Eric Clapton to members of Metallica, Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jane’s Addiction, and Guns N’ Roses.
However, the most notable guest on the record is Taylor Hawkins, the Foo Fighters drummer who suddenly passed away in March. Hawkins appears on three Patient Number 9 tracks.
Ozzy Osbourne: The Singer Who Will Never Say Die
His body ravaged by substance abuse, the heavy-metal singer overcame pneumonia in February 2019. But on the same month he prevailed, doctors diagnosed him with Parkinson’s disease.
Ozzy Osbourne didn’t inform the public about his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis until February 2020, at which point he nixed the remainder of his North American tour for that year.
Obviously, the canceled dates led fans to wonder if he would ever perform again. (Black Sabbath, the band that made him famous, played their last gig in February 2017.)
To the surprise of many, Osbourne reappeared onstage with Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi to perform at the closing ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Games. The international multi-sport event took place in Birmingham, England, where Osbourne spent his childhood.
