Goodnight, sweet Prince of Darkness.
Yesterday (22 July) brought us the tragic news that Ozzy Osbourne had died at the age of 76 only a short time after performing at his farewell concert.
Earlier this month, Black Sabbath reunited for one final show which had been billed as the last time Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Bill Ward and Geezer Butler would perform together.
Ozzy performed from a black throne adorned with the figure of a giant bat in front of an emotional crowd of 42,000 people at Villa Park, with millions more watching along on a livestream which raised around $190 million (£140) for Birmingham Children’s Hospital, Acorn Children’s Hospice and Cure Parkinson's.
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Osbourne himself was diagnosed with Parkinson's several years ago, though he said before the performance he'd been 'giving it everything I've got' to be back on stage, and when he made it there he told the audience: "You've no idea how I feel - thank you from the bottom of my heart."
If you have to go then there's few more legendary ways to bow out than getting the band back together for one last performance and raising a huge amount of money to help children.
That's a f**king rockstar right there.
Ozzy Osbourne's death at 76
The Black Sabbath legend's family announced yesterday that Ozzy Osbourne died at the age of 76 'surrounded by love'.
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They said: "It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning.
“He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.”
Black Sabbath posted their own tribute, a picture of Ozzy in his throne on stage with the caption 'Ozzy forever', and a huge amount of other tributes from fans and music stars alike have been pouring in for the man many hoped would last forever.
Ozzy's Parkinson's diagnosis
Ozzy Osbourne announced in 2020 that he'd been diagnosed with a 'mild form' of Parkinson's the previous year following a fall, which required him to have surgery.
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He once told The Osbournes Podcast 'my feet feel like I've got bricks tied to them when I'm walking', and shortly before the final concert he said on the radio that he could no longer walk.
However, despite his Parkinson's diagnosis, he was determined to get back on stage, which he certainly managed to do.
He said: "I may be moaning that I can’t walk but I look down the road and there’s people that didn’t do half as much as me and didn’t make it."
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Symptoms of Parkinson's
According to the NHS, the symptoms of Parkinson's usually start out mild and develop gradually, and while there are a plethora of symptoms the health service says it's unlikely a person would experience all of them.
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The three main symptoms of Parkinson's are tremors where parts of the body start to shake, usually the arms or legs when they are being rested, 'bradykinesia' which is a slower pace of movement and muscle stiffness which can lead to pain or difficulty in moving.
There are other symptoms as well, including a loss of smell, which the NHS says can occur years before any other signs present themselves.
People with Parkinson's may also have problems going to the toilet, suffer from erectile dysfunction, sweat excessively, have trouble swallowing, struggle with insomnia, become dizzy when standing up and experience pain in their nerves.
As well as the physical symptoms, Parkinson's is also linked to depression, anxiety, cognitive impairment and dementia.
Anyone concerned that they may have Parkinson's ought to speak to their GP about the symptoms they've been experiencing.
Topics: Celebrity, Health, Mental Health, Music, UK News, Ozzy Osbourne
Joe Harker