Last December, in an exclusive interview, Ozzy Osbourne declared, “I just wanna get back on that stage. I’ve gotta get back on that stage. It’s driving me nuts, not being able to. … It’s not a job, what I do. It’s a passion.” At that time, the 74-year-old heavy metal legend had been planning to resume his long-delayed “No More Tours II” tour in spring 2023, but a month, he announced that he was officially retiring from touring due to a 2003 spinal injury that he re-aggravated in 2019.
However, in his January 2023 statement, Osbourne clarified that his team was “coming up with ideas for where I will be able to perform without having to travel from city to city and country to country” — and that solution seemed to be this coming October’s Power Trip festival. Held in Indio only a three-hour drive from Osbourne’s Los Angeles home, the metal fest was to feature Osbourne playing Saturday on a co-headlining bill with AC/DC. But now Osbourne has once again taken to social media with a disappointing update, revealing that he isn’t well enough to perform so soon.
“As painful as this is, I’ve had to make the decision to bow out of performing on Power Trip in October,” Osbourne announced Monday. “My original plan was to return to the stage in the summer of 2024, and when the offer to do this show came in, I optimistically moved forward. Unfortunately, my body is telling me that I’m just not ready yet and I am much too proud to have the first show that I do in nearly five years be half-assed. The band that will be replacing me on Power Trip will be announced shortly. They are personal friends of mine and I can promise that you will not be disappointed. Above all, I want to thank my fans, my band, and my crew for their unconditional loyalty and continual support. I love you all and I will see you soon. God Bless, Ozzy.”