Photo: AFP
Ozzy Osbourne was scheduled to undergo a critical spinal procedure Monday, which his wife Sharon Osbourne says will "determine the rest of his life" after three years of pain and recovery from a neck injury.
On Monday, numerous fellow rockers — including a number of Ozzy's collaborators — took to social media to wish him well as he goes under the knife.
Sharon and daughter Kelly Osbourne were seen heading into the hospital Monday to check on Ozzy. As of this writing, no details on the Prince of Darkness's condition have been revealed.
"Prayers of love and strength to the boss on a successful surgery and recovery so he can get back to doing what he loves," wrote Ozzy's longtime guitarist Zakk Wylde in a post shared Monday afternoon.
"Wishing the Ozzman the speediest of recoveries," added longtime bassist Rob 'Blasko' Nichols.
"I'm keeping Ozzy Osbourne in my thoughts and prayers and wishing him a successful surgery," ex-Ozzy bassist Rudy Sarzo said.
"Let's all wish Ozzy Osbourne a successful surgery and a speedy recovery. Lots of love and positive vibes," wrote former Ozzy guitarist Gus G.
Ozzy explained earlier this spring that he hasn't been able to "walk properly" three years after hurting his neck in a trip-and-fall at home. The fall aggravated an old spinal injury from an early-2000s ATV accident.
The procedure Monday was to remove and realign pins in the 73-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Famer's neck and back. Sharon has suggested that the results of the surgery will likely dictate the future of Ozzy's career as a live performer.
Ozzy is expected to need a significant amount of time to recover from the operation, including round-the-clock care from a nurse.
The Black Sabbath cofounder has not performed a full live concert since New Year's Eve 2018. Ozzy last sang in public during a brief feature at the 2019 American Music Awards alongside Post Malone.
Early Monday morning, presumably before heading into surgery, Ozzy tweeted a captionless link to his 2010 song "I Love You All."