Ozzy Osbourne will kick off his ‘farewell’ tour next year (18).
Ozzy Osbourne’s world trek will serve as his last as a solo artist, but he plans on continuing to perform at live shows.
“People keep asking me when I’m retiring,” a statement from Osbourne reads. “This will be my final world tour, but I can’t say I won’t do some shows here and there.”
The tour will kick off in May (18) with shows in Mexico, Chile, Argentina, and Brazil before Ozzy and his band, featuring guitarist Zakk Wylde, bassist Rob ‘Blasko’ Nicholson, drummer Tommy Clufetos, and keyboardist Adam Wakeman – the son of former Yes star Rick Wakeman, head to Russia and Europe. The trek will wrap in 2020.
Ozzy’s announcement comes nine months after he and his Black Sabbath bandmates wrapped their The End farewell tour with a show in the group’s native Birmingham, England back in February (17).
Last year (16), Ozzy opened up about the prospect of retiring, insisting he wasn’t ready to bring his musical career to an end.
“I’ll be continuing my own musical thing…,” he told Billboard.com. “I know I’m not hanging my boots up for a while.”
“Being Ozzy Osbourne solo again is not a job,” he added. “It’s a passion. It’s a love. It’s the biggest, greatest love affair of my life.”
However, his wife Sharon, who manages his career, suggested retirement is imminent.
“It’s not going to be within the next year, but it’s coming up,” she stated. “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.”
