Ozzy Osbourne has stalled his plans to retire because he doesn’t want to die like his father.
Ozzy’s wife Sharon wants a commitment from the former Black Sabbath star to announce his plans to give up performing live next year (18) after he turns 70, but Ozzy insists she’ll have to wait a while because he’s not ready to walk away from the stage.
“People around my age go, ‘I’m 65 now. I’m retired’, and then they f**king die,” he tells Rolling Stone. “My father got a bit of cash from the job he had, did the garden and died.
“That’s a bit of an anticlimax after working so many years in a factory. I ain’t retiring. People still want to see me, so what’s there to retire from?”
And he assures fans the end of Black Sabbath earlier this year (17) wasn’t the start of his own swansong: “They’ve (bandmates) retired but I haven’t.”
The news will come as a bit of a surprise to his wife, who recently confirmed she and Ozzy had arrived at a retirement plan.
The TV personality, who has managed her husband’s career for decades, announced she is preparing to wind down her appearances on shows like The Talk in America and Britain’s The X Factor within five years and she has told Ozzy he must give up touring.
“I’ve given myself five years then it’s time to say goodbye from the industry,” Sharon told The Sun. “I just think that it would be enough. I want to keep my dignity. I’ve been working since I was 15 in this industry and I think that’s enough.
“It’s very difficult if you’re at a gig and you’re the oldest person in the room. I think when you get to a certain age it can be somewhat embarrassing. I don’t want to be one of those people standing at the side in a mini skirt pretending you love it.”
And she’s given her husband an ultimatum: “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.”
