Ozzy Osbourne’s life-long health battles laid bare: From teen suicide attempts and addiction to Parkinson’s battle, how Black Sabbath star never let illness hold him back

Ozzy Osbourne suffered a two decade long health battle before his death at the age of 76 yesterday—but his problems began more than six decades ago.

The Princess of Darkness’ ill health was clear to his fans earlier this month when he performed his last ever show with his band, heavy metal legends Black Sabbath.

The sell out show at Villa Park on 5 July saw the musician wheeled onto the stage in an imposing looking gothic throne, as he was unable to stand due to the effects of Parkinson’s disease.

Ozzy had undergone a strict training programme in order to be able to headline the show—his first in over three years—which turned out to be his big farewell to fans and fellow musicians. 

Less than a month after he triumphantly took to the stage, it was announced by his family last night that the Aston-born singer had passed away. 

While his official cause of death has yet to be revealed, MailOnline can reveal that the father-of-five’s health struggles stretch back to his childhood. 

Here we reveal the chaotic rock patriarch’s lifelong battles… 

Teenage suicide attempt

According to the 2004 book ‘Ordinary People: Our Story,’ co-written by Ozzy and his wife, Sharon, he revealed that he suffered a series of challenges growing up as a working class child in Birmingham.

Aged just 14, Ozzy admits in his book that he ‘became so despondent, like someone drowning in the ocean,’ that he attempted to take his own life.

This followed years of bullying at school. He said: ‘Tired of being called names and getting beat up, I was around 12 when I eventually started to skip school on a regular basis.’

He revealed that he sought relief in alcohol, marijuana, and whatever prescription drugs he could find.

‘My head was filled with these insanely dark, depressing muddled thoughts I couldn’t explain,’ the singer wrote.

In an interview with the Mirror in 2002 the star revealed that his mental health struggles began years earlier, when he was 11, after being sexually assaulted by  school bullies.

Osbourne fully admitted that the experience ‘completely f***ed [him] up.’

Decades of addiction

Years of addiction to illegal substances plagued the musician’s life.

From various stints in rehab, being unceremoniously sacked from the band he founded, and a run in with the law, Ozzy suffered greatly from his relationship with illegal—and legal—substances.

He began smoking marijuana in childhood, but in his book revealed that it was when his bandmates introduced him to cocaine in the 1970s that his drug use changed. 

He began abusing prescription medication—’downers’—along with street drugs, mixing them together with no concern for the damage they could cause him physically or mentally.

Ozzy said: ‘I was on booze, coke, heroin, acid and Quaaludes to glue, cough syrup, Rohypnol, Klonopin, Vicodin… On more than a few occasions, I was on all of those at the same time.’

Osbourne’s first stint in rehab was in 1984, but it was not until thirty years later, in 2014, that he admits to taking his sobriety seriously, after seeing his son Jack also struggle with addiction.

He said: ‘I thought I’d be drinking to the day I die, [but] most of the people that I drank with are dead.’

Parkinson’s diagnosis

Ozzy was diagnosed with a mild form of Parkinson’s disease in 2003, however he only went public with the condition in 2020.

He shared his diagnosis in an interview with Good Morning America alongside Sharon. 

The couple met in 1970, and wed in 1982, going on to have three children, Aimee, Kelly and Jack.  

He shared: ‘I had to have surgery on my neck which screwed all my nerves. I found out that I have a mild form of…’ 

Struggling to finish the sentence Sharon stepped in: ‘It’s Parkin two which is a form of Parkinson’s.’

She added: ‘There are so many different types of Parkinson’s. It’s not a death sentence by any stretch of the imagination but it does affect the nerves in your body. It’s like you’ll have a good day, then a good day, and then a really bad day.’

Caroline Rassell, CEO of Parkinson’s UK, said: ‘News of Ozzy Osbourne’s death, so soon after his celebratory homecoming show, will come as a shock to so many. 

‘By speaking openly about both his diagnosis and life with Parkinson’s, Ozzy and all his family helped so many families in the same situation.

‘They normalised tough conversations and made others feel less alone with a condition that’s on the rise and affecting more people every day. 

‘All of our heartfelt thoughts are with his family, friends and fans worldwide. His memory and the impact he left on the world will live on in all of them.’

The proceeds from the Black Sabbath reunion earlier this month were donated to Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Acorns Children’s Hospice.

The quad bike accident

In 2003 the singer suffered a devastating quad bike accident at his Buckinghamshire home that left him with a broken neck vertebra, a broken collarbone and six broken ribs.

He was forced to have extensive back surgery, and had metal rods placed in his spine.

Sixteen years later in 2019 he suffered a nasty fall at home, which dislodged the metal rods and began the health nightmare that would plague him until his death.

Speaking about the 2019 fall, he told Rolling Stone UK: ‘It really knocked me about. 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 [rod] in my spine.’ 

He also revealed doctors found a tumor in his back at the time, ‘so they had to dig all that out too’.

Hospitalised with flu 

In February 2019, Sharon revealed he had been admitted to hospital after suffering from flu and had experienced ‘complications’ from the illness.

Sharon tweeted: ‘As some of you may have heard, Ozzy was admitted to hospital following some complications from the flu. His doctors feel this is the best way to get him on a quicker road to recovery. Thanks to everyone for their concern and love.’

The illness led to him cancelling a string of tour dates while he recovered, including postponing the UK and European legs of his No More Tours 2.

Further spinal surgery

From 2023 onwards the Black Sabbath star underwent a number of surgeries on his back.

In an attempt to stand on stage for the band’s reunion tour he was moved to a specialist rehab therapist in Los Angeles to try to help him stand for several minutes on stage, walk more freely and feel better balanced.

Speaking on SiriusXM’s, he said: ‘You know what, I go on about the way I can’t walk and I can’t do this, but you know what I was thinking over the holidays? For all of my complaining, I’m still alive.’

He continued: ‘I may be moaning about how I can’t walk as well but as I look down the road, there’s people that didn’t do half as much as me, and they didn’t make it.’

‘I’m trying to get back on my feet.’

Host Billy Morrison added: ‘Ozzy, you are so much better than you were just a year ago.’

He replied: ‘Yeah, but the recovery is very slow. That f***ing surgeon. Plus the Parkinson’s. When you get up in the morning, you just jump outta bed. Oh I have to balance myself, you know? 

‘But you know, I’m not dead, as you say. I’m still actively doing things.’