Ozzy Osbourne

“Unfortunately, my body is telling me that I'm just not ready yet and I am much too proud to have the first show that I do in nearly five years be half-assed.” John Michael “Ozzy” Osbourne’s passion for performing has never wavered, even now at the age of 74. Unfortunately, he had to pull out of his appearance at Power Trip 2023 due to health concerns (though he did announce his retirement from touring back in February 2023). He described the procedure of removing a filter from his artery, adding “It sounds worse than it is.” Ozzy has been able to pull through substance abuse, a horrific quad bike accident, and his recently diagnosed Parkinson’s, so it’s no wonder he’s been given the title of the real-life Iron Man.

Lack of touring however does not equate to a lack of quality or recognition; Ozzy was awarded Best Rock Album for Patient Number 9 and Best Metal Performance for “Degradation Rules feat. Tony Iommi” at the 2023 GRAMMY Awards. So far, he has earned 5 GRAMMY Awards, 2 New Musical Express (NME) awards, several Lifetime Achievement awards such as GQ Men of the Year, awards with titles like “Golden God,” “Living Legend,” and “Global Icon," and places in the U.K. Music Hall of Fame, the Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall of Fame, the Birmingham Walk of Stars, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and the Hollywood Rock walk. He also holds awards outside of music, including the Guys Choice Literary Achievement Award for I Am Ozzy, and the Emmy Award for his reality television show “The Osbournes.” He’s on the WWE Hall of Fame and even received the key to the city of West Palm Beach, FL. The singer’s impact on rock music, his antics, and his relatability have earned him all the fame and notoriety that he’s received throughout his lifetime.

Humble Beginnings: The Prince of Darkness was born on December 3rd, 1948, at Marston Green Maternity Hospital in Birmingham. He was the fourth of six children to Lillian and John Thomas “Jack” Osbourne. His mother and father would trade off working at their respective jobs in the daytime and nighttime, but the family still lived in poverty. In school, Osbourne struggled with dyslexia and was often bullied. To combat this, he found enjoyment in being the class clown and took part in school plays. Still, Osbourne dropped out at the age of 15. He attempted many different professions but couldn’t keep a job – he tried everything from a car factory horn tuner to a slaughterhouse worker. He turned to minor crimes, but in his words, “wasn’t very good at it.” After getting caught stealing from a clothing store, Osbourne spent six weeks in jail. His father refused to pay the fine to teach his son a lesson. When Osbourne was released, his father recognized Ozzy’s passion for music and got him his own microphone and PA system.

Osbourne announced his retirement from touring in February 2023, saying that he wasn’t “physically capable” anymore after a serious spinal injury and health treatments. Even so, three weeks later he stated that he would tour again. Because of his recently cancelled appearance on Power Trip, it looks like the legendary madman may be genuinely retiring at this point in time. He has stated in the past “I’ll only retire the day I should be dead and they have me buried, and some idiot spell over my casket some stupid gospel stuff,” so his performance status remains to be seen