Ozzy Osbourne Secretly Hospitalized Weeks Before Final Concert
Ozzy Osbourne was secretly hospitalized for several weeks prior to his final performance with Black Sabbath in Birmingham, england, on February 13, 2017, his family has revealed. The revelation sheds new light on the singer’s condition in the months leading up to his death on March 9, 2024, and underscores the extent to which he concealed his declining health from both fans and, seemingly, himself.
The Osbourne family shared details of the pre-concert health scare, previously undisclosed, as they reflected on the emotional weight of the show and Ozzy’s subsequent rapid decline. The hospitalization, occurring weeks before the Birmingham gig, initially prompted discussions about cancellation, but Osbourne staunchly resisted the idea. “He’d be like, ‘No, no, no don’t cancel it,'” Sharon Osbourne recounted. This disclosure arrives as fans continue to mourn the loss of the iconic frontman and grapple with the legacy of his decades-long career, highlighting the personal toll his relentless dedication to performing took on him and his loved ones.
Sharon Osbourne described her husband as being “in awe” of the overwhelmingly positive response to the final concert and the critical acclaim it received. She explained that Ozzy was surprised by the depth of affection people held for him as an individual, separate from his musical persona. ”He didn’t realize how many people loved him as a person – not as the frontman of Black Sabbath or as his own thing – it was just his being,” she said. “people loved him. He never got it.He had no understanding of it whatsoever.”
The family believed the energy derived from the performance would provide Osbourne with renewed strength. Though, Sharon admitted she hadn’t anticipated the speed of his subsequent health deterioration. Kelly Osbourne, though, suggested her father possessed an awareness of his impending mortality, even if he didn’t openly express it.
“It’s only in retrospect that I see that now,” Kelly said, noting that her father began making statements that appeared to be preparing her for his eventual passing. “Because he started saying things to me that I think he was preparing me for when he wasn’t going to be here. I just thought that the buzz of the show, and everything that gave him, would give him enough to stick around a little longer.”
