Ozzy Osbourne cancels North American tour
He's receiving treatment for Parkinson's disease
Last updated 18th Feb 2020
Ozzy Osbourne has cancelled his entire North American tour in order to travel to Switzerland to receive treatment for Parkinson's disease.
The 71-year-old metal legend has released a statement on his website explaining he needs time to continue “to recover from various health issues he has faced over the past year.”
Alongside Ozzy's Parkinson’s disease diagnosis, he was hospitalised with pneumonia early last year and then suffered a serious fall in his bedroom, which resulted in him undergoing surgery for neck injuries.
The statement on Ozzy’s website reads: “The rest of the statement on Ozzy’s website reads: Ozzy Osbourne’s 2020 North American “No More Tours 2” has unfortunately been cancelled to allow Osbourne to continue to recover from various health issues he has faced over the past year.
“This decision was made to accommodate fans who’ve been holding tickets for rescheduled shows and have been asked to change plans, some multiple times. Following promotional obligations for his new ‘Ordinary Man’ album (out February 21), Osbourne will head to Europe for additional treatments”
Ozzy says of his North American tour cancellation: “I’m so thankful that everyone has been patient because I’ve had a s*** year. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to get to Switzerland for treatment until April and the treatment takes six-eight weeks.
“I don’t want to start a tour and then cancel shows at the last minute, as it’s just not fair to the fans. I’d rather they get a refund now and when I do the North American tour down the road, everyone who bought a ticket for these shows will be the first ones in line to purchase tickets at that time.”
Ozzy’s North American tour was due to kick off on 27th May in Atlanta, Georgia and continue through to July.
When Ozzy first revealed he is Parkinson’s disease on Good Morning America last month, wife Sharon said they were travelling to Switzerland for Parkinson’s disease treatment in the spring.
"We’ve kind of reached a point here in this country (the United States) where we can’t go any further because we’ve got all the answers we can get here,” Sharon explained.
“So in April we’re going to a professor in Switzerland and he deals with getting your immune system at its peak. So, we’re going to go wherever we can go to seek answers.”
Ozzy’s No More Tours 2 with special guests Judas Priest is currently due to reconvene at Newcastle Utilita Arena on Friday 23rd October before taking in shows in Glasgow, London, Birmingham, Manchester, Dublin and Nottingham.
Originally due to take place in January and February 2019, Ozzy originally rescheduled the tour for early 2020 due to his pneumonia and severe upper-respiratory infection.
However, Ozzy’s “slower than expected” recovery from his fall forced him to postpone it for a second time in October 2019.
Despite his poor health, Ozzy recorded his twelfth studio album ‘Ordinary Man’ while recuperating from his fall last summer alongside producer Andrew Watt on guitars, Duff McKagan (Guns N' Roses) on bass and Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers) on drums.
Released this Friday (21st February), ‘Ordinary Man’ features the huge anthem ‘Under The Graveyard’, the thunderous single ‘Straight To Hell’ featuring Slash, and Ozzy’s Elton John collaboration ‘Ordinary Man’.
Other guest performers on 'Ordinary Man' are Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello and rapper Post Malone.