Ozzy Osbourne has admitted he feels like he should have died years before some of his late ‘drinking buddies’ following a battle with booze and drugs.
The Black Sabbath star, 74, who was awarded the Rolling Stone UK Icon Award on Thursday night, said he now questions why he is still alive.
Ozzy discussed how he feels about outliving his friends, including Motorhead star Lemmy and UFO bass player Pete Way, who he performed with in the eighties.
He said: ‘I’ve been doing a lot of reflection while I’ve been laid up, and all my drinking partners, I’ve realised they’re all f*ing dead.
‘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*k did you make it?’.
Opinion: Ozzy Osbourne has admitted he feels like he should have died years before some of his late ‘drinking buddies’ following a battle with booze and drugs
Musings: The Black Sabbath star, 74, who was awarded the Rolling Stone UK Icon Award on Thursday night, said he now questions why he is still alive (pictured in 2018)
‘I should have been dead a thousand times. I’ve had my stomach pumped God knows how many times.’
Ozzy, who has sold more than 100million records throughout his illustrious career, announced earlier this year his plans to retire from touring.
The British musician was diagnosed with a mild form of Parkinson’s disease in 2003, however he only went public with the condition in 2020.
Ozzy has said that his biggest struggles are due to a fall which he suffered in 2019 which caused metal rods in his back to dislodge.
The rods had been put there following a quad bike accident at his Buckinghamshire home in 2003.
He told Rolling Stone UK magazine: ‘The second surgery went drastically wrong and virtually left me crippled.
‘I thought I’d be up and running after the second and third, but with the last one they put a f*ing rod in my spine.
‘They found a tumour in one of the vertebrae, so they had to dig all that out too. It’s pretty rough, man, and my balance is all f*ed up.’
Candid: Ozzy discussed how he feels about outliving his friends, including Motorhead star Lemmy and UFO bass player Pete Way, who he performed with in the eighties
Proud wife: On Thursday, Ozzy’s wife Sharon proudly accepted The Icon honour trophy for her ailing husband at the Rolling Stone UK Awards at London’s Camden Roundhouse
On Thursday, Ozzy’s wife Sharon proudly accepted The Icon honour trophy for her ailing husband at the Rolling Stone UK Awards at London’s Camden Roundhouse.
Ozzy was too till to travel to the star-studded ceremony where the ‘prince of darkness’ was honoured for his 55-years in the music industry.
The rock and roll star to prominence during the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath and was due to give speech at the ceremony.
A beaming Sharon gave a rousing speech on her husband’s behalf before introducing a video message from the man himself.
Sharon, 71, said: ‘At times I’ve just felt so helpless and so bad for Ozzy. He’s gone through all these operations and the whole thing has felt like a nightmare.
‘He hasn’t lost his sense of humour, but I look at my husband and he’s here while everyone else is out on the road.
‘This is the longest time he hasn’t ever worked for. Being at home for so long has been so foreign to him.’
Frail: Ozzy was too till to travel to the star-studded ceremony where the ‘prince of darkness’ was honoured for his 55-years in the music industry (pictured in February)