Rock legend Ozzy Osbourne, 71, diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease

Rock legend Ozzy Osbourne has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease after a year of health problems. The Black Sabbath singer announced the devastating news on US television show Good Morning America, revealing he found out about the neurodegenerative disorder after a fall last February.

“It’s been terribly challenging for us all,” he said. “I did my last show [on] New Year’s Eve (2018) at The Forum. “Then I had a bad fall. I had to have surgery on my neck, which screwed all my nerves and I found out that I have a mild form.”

The singer, 71, said he’s on the mend, revealing that he’s taking a host of medications.

“I got a numbness down this arm [from] the surgery; my legs keep going cold,” he said.

“I don’t know if that’s the Parkinson’s or what, you know, but that’s — see, that’s the problem. Because they cut nerves when they did the surgery. I’d never heard of nerve pain, and it’s a weird feeling.”

His wife Sharon, who is also his manager, added: “There’s so many different types of Parkinson’s, it’s not a death sentence by any stretch of the imagination, but it does affect certain nerves in your body. And it’s like you have a good day, a good day, and then a really bad day.”

The singer has his sights set on being well enough to go on the road again. “I need it, that is my drug today,” he said. “I’ve done all of the other crap, left that by the wayside, survived that, and I ain’t done yet and I ain’t going to go anywhere yet.”

After postponing the UK and European leg of his tour twice due to illness, Ozzy also postponed his rescheduled world tour in October last year. It’s been a hard two years for the English musician, who was hospitalised for a staph infection in 2018 and again a year later for pneumonia.

“I’m completely devastated for having to postpone the European leg of my tour,” he said at the time. “It just seems that since October everything I touch has turned to s**t.

“First the staph infection in my thumb and now coming down with the flu and bronchitis. I want to apologise to all of my fans who have been so loyal over the years, my band, my crew and to Judas Priest for letting you all down.”