Ozzy Osbourne, 76, Gave a Health Update Before His Death & Revealed Why He Believed He Had Fewer than 10 Years Left to Live

For years, Ozzy Osbourne had been in poor health, and by 2025, he was simply grateful to still be here. His one wish early in the year was to thank his fans in person, with a final concert in the city where his career began.

Shortly before his death at 76, Ozzy Osbourne spoke candidly about his health and what he believed lay ahead. In a series of interviews, he reflected on his physical limits and how time seemed to move faster with age. His words carried a quiet finality, even as he prepared to return to the stage one last time.

Alongside those reflections, Ozzy also revealed why he believed he had fewer than ten years left to live. It wasn't a prediction made out of fear, but due to years of physical decline and personal reckoning.

Getting Ready for One Last Show

In early 2025, Ozzy was preparing to return to the stage, something he hadn't done in years. A one-night-only Black Sabbath concert had been announced for July 5 at Villa Park in Birmingham, the same city where the band formed back in 1968.

Billed as "The Final Show," the event would bring Ozzy back together with bandmates Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, and Bill Ward, along with a stacked lineup of metal heavyweights including Metallica, Slayer, and Pantera. All profits would be donated to the Cure Parkinson's Foundation, Birmingham Children's Hospital, and Acorn Children's Hospice.

As the concert drew closer, Ozzy began appearing in interviews more frequently, speaking not just about the show but also about his health. These weren't press appearances to promote a record or relive past glories. Instead, they offered a rare glimpse into the private realities he had been living with for years.

For much of that time, his physical condition had remained out of public view, acknowledged but not fully discussed. His wife and longtime manager, Sharon Osbourne, joined him for many of these conversations.

Often, she filled in details that Ozzy chose not to elaborate on, offering perspective from the person who had been by his side through every hospital stay, setback, and small victory. Together, they shared more plainly than ever about what life looked like behind the scenes.

Inside Ozzy's Final Push to Get Back on Stage

In the final stretch before the July concert, Ozzy didn't hide how difficult things had become. Physically, he had not engaged in serious activity for nearly seven years. Still, with a farewell performance looming, he began working with a rehabilitation coach in preparation for the show.

The trainer specialized in helping people rebuild mobility and stamina. Ozzy explained that the training was grueling but necessary. "It's hard going, but he's convinced that he can pull it off for me. I'm giving it everything I've got," he shared.

He was also clear about his limited mobility. "I can't walk," he stated bluntly. But that wasn't the end of the thought. "For all my complaining, I'm still alive." In classic Ozzy fashion, the comment wasn't framed with self-pity. He was quick to acknowledge others who hadn't been as lucky.

"There's people that didn't do half as much as me and didn't make it, [sic]" he added. Even as the show approached, Ozzy didn't know exactly how it would go. He admitted he was taking it one day at a time and doing everything he could to be ready.

"All I can say is I'm giving it 120 percent," he told his friend Billy Morrison. "If my god wants me to do this show, I'll do it." Every statement he gave pointed to the same intention: to do whatever it took to get through the performance.

Sharon reassured fans that even though Parkinson's disease had affected Ozzy's legs, his vocals remained unaffected. She described him as emotionally invested in the final concert and noted that returning to the stage held deep meaning for him.

More than anything, he wanted to express gratitude. "He didn't have that chance because of his illness, but now he does have the chance," Sharon explained. "He feels like he's never had a chance to thank the fans — to say 'thank you for this unbelievable life.'"

The idea of getting back on stage again had stirred a lot of emotions in him. Sharon said he was "very happy to be coming back." She also provided a clearer picture of what Ozzy was up against and how the illness had been affecting him.

What Is Parkinson's Disease?

Parkinson's disease is a progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects movement and motor control. It develops gradually over time and often begins with mild symptoms such as a tremor in one hand, but eventually leads to stiffness, slower movement, and balance problems.

Ozzy had a rare form of the illness called Parkin 2, which affects nerve communication in the body. In his case, it impacted his legs, made walking difficult, and contributed to persistent numbness and instability. These symptoms are common as Parkinson's progresses.

Many people with the disease also experience changes in posture, facial expression, or speech, though Sharon confirmed that Ozzy's voice had not been affected. While there is no cure, treatment can help manage symptoms.

Medications are often used to improve movement, and in some cases, surgery may help with certain neurological functions. But as Sharon explained, Parkinson's cannot be paused or reversed. It continues to affect different areas of the body over time.

For Ozzy, the disease was a constant reminder of the limits he couldn't ignore — one that made him think seriously about how much time he had left.

'At Best, I've Got Ten Years Left' – Ozzy's View on Time

In his final interviews, Ozzy spoke plainly about how his health had shaped his perspective on time. By the time of his passing, he had been through four spinal surgeries, each one more difficult than the last. The most recent, performed in 2023, left him with a rod in his spine and a tumor removed from one of his vertebrae.

The recovery was grueling. He admitted that the second surgery had gone "drastically wrong" and left him nearly crippled. His balance was off, his body unstable, and his sense of time was beginning to shift. Still, it wasn't pain or frustration that stood out most in his final interviews. It was clarity.

Recalling a conversation with Sharon, Ozzy said he had smoked a joint, and she had immediately scolded him. He responded, "How long do you want me to live for?" Then he added, "At best, I've got ten years left. And when you're older, time picks up speed."

His words weren't meant as a farewell — they were simply an acknowledgment of the reality he had come to accept. After decades of touring, surgeries, and setbacks, he seemed to view the years ahead as something borrowed, not promised.

Ozzy also reflected on his 41st wedding anniversary with Sharon. "That's just unbelievable to me," he remarked. The years had passed quickly, but they had not been wasted.

The Other Health Challenges He Faced

While Parkinson's disease became the most prominent factor in Ozzy's later health struggles, it wasn't the only one. Over the years, he faced a long list of complications, from serious infections to injuries that repeatedly forced him off the road.

In 2019 alone, he battled a staph infection that required hand surgery, followed by a bout of flu that developed into pneumonia and sent him to the ICU. Later that same year, a fall at home worsened preexisting injuries from a 2003 quad-bike accident, ultimately leading to the spinal surgeries that dominated the final phase of his recovery.

Despite these setbacks, Ozzy remained vocal about his commitment to fans and the people around him. He often apologized when health issues forced him to cancel or postpone tours, and he repeatedly insisted that he would return when able. That determination carried through to his final performance plans in 2025.

A Final Performance, A Last Thank You

On July 5, 2025, Ozzy returned to the stage one last time. The concert, held at Villa Park in Birmingham, marked his final live performance with Black Sabbath.

The performance was a celebration of the genre and the musicians who had helped define it, and Sharon made clear that the moment was about recognition, not reinvention. "Usually this thing is done when you're dead," she reflected. "So it's nice that these guys can be alive to be appreciated."

The show brought together decades of music, memory, and influence. For fans, it was a rare opportunity to witness a defining voice in rock history take the stage one final time. For Ozzy Osbourne, it was a promise kept. What had started as a farewell concert became, in retrospect, his true goodbye, because 17 days later, on July 22, 2025, he died.

His family confirmed his passing in a statement, saying he had died surrounded by loved ones and asking for privacy. "It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning," the message read, signed by Sharon, Jack, Kelly, Aimee, and Louis.