Ozzy Osbourne wrote about a heart problem he was suffering from for a new memoir just days before he died, it has been revealed.
In the last chapter of his new memoir, Last Rites, the Black Sabbath icon revealed that he was suffering from a heart arrhythmia and that he’d been diagnosed with “a dodgy heart valve”.
The chapter of the book was written (as per Louder Sound), shortly after his ‘Back To The Beginning’ farewell show in Birmingham this summer on July 5. Osbourne died on July 22 at the age of 76.
It was Osbourne’s first full gig since 2018, and he had undergone multiple surgeries during the following years and had experienced numerous health problems, including Parkinson’s disease.
Writing about his health in the memoir, which is released tomorrow (October 7), Osbourne wrote: “It’s never silly little things.” He also wrote about issues he had after contracting sepsis following a previous operation. “It’s always life-or-death,” he continued.
“The valve is 80 per cent blocked, apparently,” Osbourne continued. “The sepsis also gave me something called arrhythmia – when your heart can’t keep time, like a drummer in a bad pub band – so cheers for that.”
He added that doctors refused to operate on his valve on account of the medication he was taking to thin his blood and manage his Parkinson’s condition. Stopping “would be too dangerous”, he wrote.
“Meanwhile, the thinners mean if I ever fall over, I’d bleed out in about five seconds,” Osbourne added. “I’ve honestly lost count of the ways in which getting old sucks.”
Last month, Sharon Osbourne thanked fans for their “overwhelming love and support” and said she was “still finding my footing” following her husband’s passing. Ozzy’s son Jack had previously shared a “personal note” about his father in a video on his YouTube channel, while Kelly explained how she had found her “smile again” amid the “sadness and grief”.
A new forthcoming new documentary, No Escape From Now, will detail the Prince Of Darkness’ final six years. Watch the trailer above. It comes after a new film with Osbourne aired last week (October 2), Sharon & Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home.
At the end of the programme, Ozzy reflected on the “emotional” yet “terribly frustrating” final show with Sabbath: “I had to sit there instead of running across the stage. That was fucking torture, because I wanted to get off that [chair] so much.”
Elsewhere in Last Rites, Ozzy shared his fears about not being able to perform at the historic gig, and revealed Sharon’s “backup plan” in case he was too unwell.
The artist’s death certificate confirmed his cause of death to be a heart attack, while also mentioning that he was suffering from coronary heart disease and Parkinson’s. The document listed his occupation as “Songwriter, Performer and Rock Legend”.
