The Latest on Ozzy

from Billboard.com:

Ozzy Retiring As Ozzfest Headliner

By Jill Kipnis, L.A.

Ozzy Osbourne has confirmed that this will be his final year headlining his Ozzfest festival. The almost 10-year-old hard rock trek, which launched in 1996, has always included Osbourne as a show closer either with Black Sabbath or with his solo band.

Next year, Osbourne will still participate in Ozzfest, though only at a few of the tour's stops. "After 10 years, the Ozzfest's name and reputation has been established," the artist said in a statement. "It's time for me to move on and do other things."

Osbourne has suffered from unspecified throat problems during this year's tour, requiring Black Sabbath to skip three appearances and Iron Maiden to step in as the headliner.

Another show originally planned for Aug. 7 at the Float-Rite Amphitheater in Somerset, Wis., was rescheduled for Sept. 10 and will now serve as the last date of the tour.


from All Headline News:

...The confirmation comes as Ozzy suffers chronic voice problems brought on by hay-fever and allergies which have caused the singer to cancel numerous shows during the tour.

According to wife and manager Sharon Osbourne, Ozzy will still performing next year but will be moving the shows indoors instead of leaving Ozzfest to go on without him and use a different headliner.

"We are changing the format of the festival next year and Ozzy will be going into arenas for a while. Because this outside business is just knocking the (expletive) out of him in the summer," Sharon says.


from OzzyHead.com:

According to Ozzfest.com, Ozzy recently had to postpone his stop at Float Rite Park, in Somerset, Wisconsin under doctors’ advisement that he not perform consecutive shows.

Ozzy is scheduled to play two more consecutive shows this year:

8/14/05 Sleep Train Sacramento, CA (following 8/13/05, Shoreline Amphitheatre, San Francisco, CA)

and

8/28/05 Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre San Antonio, TX (following 8/27/05, Cynthia J. Woods Pavilion, Houston, TX)

Under Doctors' orders, these shows should be postponed. Currently, there is no official word on what will happen. Stay tuned!


I could find no further info on Ozzfest.com, other than confirmation that he will be limiting his appearances at future Ozzfests. Ozzfest won't be the same without you, Ozzy!