Ozzy Osbourne opens up about battle with Parkinson’s disease in Good Morning America interview

Ozzy Osbourne opened up about his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis in an exclusive interview with Robin Roberts on Good Morning America on Tuesday.

Osbourne appeared on Good Morning America with his family, including his wife, Sharon, and children, Jack and Kelly. They shared their experience of family life after Osbourne had a fall and learned he had Parkinson’s disease in February 2019.

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative condition that affects the brain’s nerve cells. The symptoms include tremors, muscle rigidity, and changes in the patient’s gait and speech, according to WebMD.

Osbourne, aka The Prince of Darkness, revealed in the interview that he had a “bad fall” early last year soon after he did a show at The Forum on New Year’s Eve. He had to undergo neck surgery.

Sharon, 67, explained that there are different types of Parkinson’s disease and that the type Ozzy has is called PRKN 2.

GMA FIRST LOOK: @RobinRoberts sits down with rock legend Ozzy Osbourne as he opens up about the fall that postponed his world tour. The full exclusive interview tomorrow on @GMA. https://t.co/YgfBrfobu0 pic.twitter.com/o0l3ltSWhq

— Good Morning America (@GMA) January 20, 2020

Osbourne had to postpone his world tour following surgery to allow him time to recover.

He began feeling a numbness down his arm and experienced cold legs after the surgery. He wasn’t sure whether it was due to Parkinson’s, but he noted the surgeons also cut some of his nerves during the operation, and he has since been feeling “nerve pain.”

Osbourne revealed his medical diagnosis following rumors about his health after he postponed all of his concert dates in 2019. The rock star admitted that he tried to keep his diagnosis a secret and even denied rumors that he had Parkinson’s.

His daughter, Kelly, and son, Jack, were the first to notice something was wrong with him.

Kelly opened up about the challenges of adjusting to her father’s diagnosis, describing it as involving a “role reversal,” but she said it helped to bring the family closer together.

Jack, who received a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis in 2012, chimed in, saying he could relate to his dad’s situation.

“I understand when you have something you don’t want to have,” he said.

Osbourne acknowledged the support he received from his family since the diagnosis but said it was challenging to find himself in need of so much assistance.

“Coming from a working-class background, I hate to let people down. I hate to not do my job. And so when I see my wife goin’ to work, my kids goin’ to work, everybody’s doing — tryin’ to be helpful to me, that gets me down because I can’t contribute to my family, you know.”

But he went on to say that he was feeling a lot better than last February and that he was recovering after the initial diagnosis. He explained he was planning to seek “other forms of treatment” from a professional in Switzerland.

Osbourne also acknowledged the support he’s received from his fans:

“They’re my air, you know. I feel better. I’ve owned up to the fact that I have — a case of Parkinson’s. And I just hope they hang on and they’re there for me because I need them.”

Osbourne rose to stardom as the vocalist for the metal band Black Sabbath in the ’70s. His career suffered a temporary setback after he left the band in 1979. He battled with substance abuse but was able to establish a successful solo career.

He released several albums during his solo career, including Blizzard of Oz (1980), Diary of a Madman (1981), Bark at the Moon (1983), No More Tears (1991), and Ozzmosis (1995).

He released Scream in 2010 and Ordinary Man in 2020.

He reunited with Black Sabbath years after he left the group and recorded their final studio album 13 (2013) with them.