Ozzy Osborne climbed out of a wheelchair a day after undergoing grueling surgery to adjust pins that had been inserted into his neck and spine following a near-fatal ATV accident and subsequent fall.
The Black Sabbath rocker, 73, looked frail as he was wheeled into the parking lot of a Los Angeles hospital on Tuesday while wife Sharon, 69, looked on.
But moments later, Ozzy showed there was still life in the old Hellraiser as he got out of his wheelchair and climbed into a waiting Range Rover.
A hospital worker stood near Ozzy to offer help if the rocker lost his balance, but ultimately did not have to intervene.
He was photographed wearing his signature black t-shirt and jeans, accessorised with a white neck brace and blue surgical mask.
Ozzy, who also has Parkinson’s disease, is now facing a lengthy recovery, a spokesman told Page Six.
Ozzy Osborne is wheeled out of a Los Angeles hospital on Tuesday, a day after he underwent surgery to reset pins in his back and neck. His wife Sharon is also pictured
Shortly after this snap was taken, Ozzy got out of the wheelchair and unaided into a waiting car
The Black Sabbath singer struggled with back and neck issues after an ATV accident in 2003 and a fall in 2019
Ozzy also has Parkinson’s disease and now faces a long convalescence. His family hired a nurse to help him recover
Ozzy got into that car alone when a hospital worker hovered nearby to offer help if the singer needed it
Sharon says her husband is recovering well after the surgery, which she described as “life-changing”.
Sharon rushed to LA in April after learning her frail husband had contracted COVID. He has since recovered from the virus
A nurse was hired to help him recover.
Ozzy underwent spinal surgery just a day before he was released.
The singer nearly died in a quad bike accident at his British estate in 2003.
And in 2019 he fell, exacerbating his previous injuries and forcing surgeons to insert 15 screws into his neck, Page Six reported.
Ozzy revealed plans for the surgery in an interview with Classic Rock last month, saying, “I’m just waiting for surgery on my neck.”
“I can’t walk properly these days. I have physical therapy every morning. I’m doing a little better, but not nearly as much as I’d like to be to get back on the road.’
Devoted wife Sharon, who will celebrate her 40th wedding anniversary with Ozzy on July 4, said the outcome of the surgery will “determine the rest of[Ozzy’s]life.”
After the surgery, she took to social media with an update to say that her spouse is “doing well and on the road to recovery.”
Sharon added: “Our family would like to express so much gratitude for the overwhelming amount of love and support that has led to Ozzy’s surgery.
Sharon and Ozzy, pictured at the 2020 Grammy Awards, will celebrate 40 years of marriage on July 4
“Your love means the world to him.”
In April, Ozzy fell ill with COVID-19, forcing Sharon to flee London – where she is hosting a new TV show – to take care of him in Los Angeles.
He later recovered, but Sharon’s grief at her husband’s diagnosis betrayed her concern for his health.
Ozzy first became addicted to alcohol and drugs in the 1970s and made his first trip to rehab in 1984.
He has since become sober and credits his survival by turning his back on alcohol and drugs.
Sharon and Ozzy are parents to three children – Amy, 38, Jack, 36, and Kelly, 37.
Jack and Kelly have both spoken out about their own struggles with addiction. Jack was addicted to the pain reliever OxyContin after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, while Kelly began using heroin as a teenager.
Both say they are sober now, although Kelly, who is pregnant with her first child, checked into rehab again in 2021 after falling off her car during the COVID lockdowns.