Ozzy Osbourne says his Parkinson’s diagnosis isn’t a "death sentence".
The 71-year-old rocker revealed last month he’s been battling with the disease, which affects the nerve cells in the brain that produce dopamine, and causes muscle rigidity, tremors, and changes in speech and gait.
But now, Ozzy has confessed he’s known about his diagnosis since 2003, and insists he only has a "mild form" of the condition.
He said: "I’ve known I’ve had Parkinson’s since 2003. It’s not a death sentence … It’s a mild form of Parkinson’s at the moment. I’m not shaking.
"The doctor told me that I probably walk by 10 people a day who have got it and don’t even know they’ve got it. You don’t get a pimple on your forehead, you just start walking a bit funny I suppose."
The Black Sabbath star also commented on the recent cancellation of his North American tour, which was axed earlier this week as Ozzy is yet to fully recover from the back surgery he underwent last year.
Ozzy has claimed the shows will be rescheduled, and the tour is not axed for good.
Speaking to RADIO.com, he said: "[The tour is] postponed … I cannot go out on the road, until I’m 100 percent confident that I can pull it off, because if I go out now, and I can’t carry on, people are gonna think I’ve lost the plot, you know.
"So, I’m not gonna go out there until I can give them the show that I want to give them. Because it’s not fair to them … I’m intending on going back on the road. I don’t wanna go out and go ‘ugh’ and fall over the first song, you know?"
The ‘War Pigs’ hitmaker axed the dates this week in a statement that said his tour "has been canceled to allow Osbourne to continue to recover from various health issues he has faced over the past year."
And a source later revealed the news was a "huge disappointment" for the rocker.
They said: "He’s still in a lot of pain, and as much as he’s desperate to get back on tour he doesn’t want to rush into it before he can give it his all. At the minute, it just isn’t possible.
"It’s a huge disappointment for him and everyone involved but he knows it’s the right decision and hopes it will mean he makes it back to full strength before his UK gigs this autumn."
Ozzy was due to kickstart his US tour in Atlanta, Georgia, on May 27 before wrapping up in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 31.
The ‘Crazy Train’ singer is due to start his UK tour in Newcastle in October and, at the moment, those plans are still in place – providing he can make a full recovery between now and then.
Ozzy Osbourne: My Parkinson’s diagnosis isn’t a death sentence
