Ozzy Osbourne’s upcoming world tour will be his last, the former Black Sabbath frontman and Grammy Award-winning metal singer said Monday.
“People keep asking me when I’m retiring,” Mr. Osbourne, 68, said in a press release announcing his next performances. “This will be my final world tour, but I can’t say I won’t do some shows here and there.”
The farewell tour will start next May in Mexico and last through 2020, with currently scheduled dates including performances in 18 countries across three continents.
The tour will be preceded by the “Crazy Train” singer headlining an event in Florida, the “Monster Energy Welcome To Rockville” fest on April 27, with additional North American dates scheduled to be announced in 2018, according to the press release.
Musicians backing the singer on the world tour including longtime collaborators Zakk Wylde on guitar, Rob “Blasko” Nicholson on bass, drummer Tommy Clufetos and keyboardist Adam Wakeman.
Mr. Osbourne was born in Birmingham, England, and formed Black Sabbath in 1968 with guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward and bassist Geezer Butler. The heavy metal band released its eponymous debut in 1970 and concluded their own farewell tour earlier this year.
Mr. Osbourne pursued a successful career separate front his work fronting Sabbath and won the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance for his song “I Don’t Want to Change the World” in 1994 — two years after he first announced his retirement from music.
“This is absolutely for real. It’s the end of the road for me. I’ve been doing it for 25 years, and I want to go home,” the singer said in 1992, according to Rolling Stone. “I’ve got a house I never see. I’ve got a car I never drive. I’ve got a family I never go home to.”
The singer’s wife, Sharon Osborne, told Rolling Stone last year that her husband’s touring days were nearing an end.
“It’s not going to be within the next year, but it’s coming up,” she said last October. “I don’t want Ozzy singing ’Crazy Train’ at 75. I think it’s best you go out before you hit that 70 and go out on top.”
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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