Further details have emerged about Ozzy Osbourne's health in the last weeks of his life, following the music legend's tragic death at 76.
In the weeks leading up to his final performance, the legendary rocker was having his heart monitored up to 15 times a day, revealing the intense precautions taken as his health steadily declined.
While the exact cause of Osbourne’s death has not yet been confirmed, those close to him were reportedly concerned about his heart in the months before his passing.
Determined to take the stage one last time, Ozzy had been working tirelessly to prepare for his farewell performance at the Back to the Beginning concert in Birmingham, which would ultimately become his final public appearance.
Speaking candidly on his Sirius XM show in late May, he shared just how rigorous his daily routine had become.
“F***ing hell. I’m constantly in training seven days a week. I’ve got this guy who’s virtually living with me and I’m in bed by seven,” he said, via The Sun. “I used to need a handful of sleeping pills. Now I don’t take anything. I’m having my blood pressure taken 15 times a day. I’ve got this f***ing device on my finger, it monitors my heart rate.”
Despite the physical challenges he was facing, including Parkinson’s disease and years of surgeries following multiple injuries, Ozzy maintained a sense of humor. When asked about how he was coping, he quipped: “I’m just taking it one day at a time. Ask him upstairs. In my case, the one below.”
He also gave heartfelt credit to his wife, Sharon Osbourne, for helping him fulfill his final wish, to perform one last time in his hometown.
“She worked her a** off to get this moving,” he said of the benefit concert at Villa Park, which drew praise from fans around the world.
Sharon had been instrumental in organizing the event as the couple prepared to return to the UK permanently after years in the United States.
In an interview with The Guardian around the same time, Ozzy reflected on his declining health. “I’ve got more f***ing metal in me than a scrap merchant,” he joked, referencing the many surgeries he endured.
Still, he remained committed to performing. “I do weights, bike riding. I’ve got a guy living at my house who’s working with me. I’ve been laid up for so long, it’s like starting over.”
Though he acknowledged he wouldn’t be jumping around the stage like he used to, he promised to show up and give it his all. “I may be sitting down, but I’ll be there, and I’ll do the best I can.”
Less than three weeks after that emotional final concert, Ozzy Osbourne passed away.
“It’s time for me to spend some time with my grandkids,” he had said of moving back to the UK after years of living in the US. “I don’t want to die in a hotel room somewhere. I want to spend the rest of my life with my family.”
Reflecting on his legacy in a 2002 Rolling Stone interview, Ozzy once said: “I’ve done a lot for a simple working-class guy. I made a lot of people smile… At least I’ll be remembered.”
And he certainly will be.