Back in February this year, Metal Hammer magazine caught up with Ozzy Osbourne ahead of what was scheduled to have been his final UK and European tour.
Unfortunately, Ozzy was forced to postpone his entire 2019 touring plans after he fell at home aggravating an old injury sustained during his 2003 ATV accident.
In the interview, Ozzy reflected on the deaths of Prince, David Bowie and Lemmy, saying: “They’ve been dropping in fours and fives, when it used to be once in a blue moon, but I’m still here.
“Turning 70 doesn’t bother me. Whether I feel happy, sad or mad, it’s happening. I consider myself very lucky. There but for the grace of God go I, you know? I tried to do everything to the absolute fucking max when I was doing it.
“I’d be looking around for crumbs of coke on the floor when everyone went home. I’m not proud of that, but I’m a survivor, I suppose.
“Lemmy died a while ago. Before he died, he said to me, ‘Well, I could have 10 more years if I did all the proper things, but I did things my way.’ He knew what he was doing. It’s sad and I miss him being around.”
Ozzy added: “I said to my wife the other day, ‘Why have I survived?’ and she said, ‘Don’t complain!’ If it wasn’t for Sharon, I would’ve been gone a long time ago. She used to bollock me all the time about it. I did have a conscience and I realised, ‘Do I really want to be remembered as a junkie and an alcoholic nutcase?’
“But if you’d said to me years ago, ‘How long do you think you’ll last?’ I would’ve said, ‘I’ll be dead by 40!’ Luck has shadowed me all the way.
"If you’d read a news story that said ‘Ozzy Osbourne has been found dead in his hotel room,’ you wouldn’t go, ‘Oh, really?’ would you? You’d say, ‘Well, obviously!’”
Ozzy is expected to release his new album Ordinary Man in January and will tour throughout 2020.
