Ozzy Osbourne cancels tour dates as he recovers from pneumonia
The heavy metal star’s official Twitter account said he was ‘through the worst part’ of the illness.
Ozzy Osbourne has cancelled a string of tour dates while he recovers from pneumonia, according to his official Twitter account.
A tweet posted on Tuesday morning said planned performances in Australia, New Zealand and Japan have been axed.
According to his website, the heavy metal star was due to play shows in Sydney, Melbourne, Christchurch, Auckland and Chiba in March.
Announcing the cancellations, the 70-year-old’s Twitter account attributed a quote to wife Sharon that said: “Ozzy recently developed pneumonia & has spent some time in hospital. He is through the worst part.
“His doctors have advised that he stay at home to recuperate for full 6 weeks.”
Earlier this month Sharon revealed that Osbourne had been admitted to hospital after suffering from flu.
He experienced “complications” from the illness, she said, and doctors advised him to go to hospital.
The former Black Sabbath star, a Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee, was forced to postpone the UK and European legs of his No More Tours 2 tour after taking advice from doctors.
He had been suffering from flu and was diagnosed with a severe upper-respiratory infection, according to a January 29 statement on his website.
Doctors feared the infection could develop into pneumonia had he toured, the statement added.
Osbourne, also known as the Prince of Darkness, is the former lead vocalist with heavy metal band Black Sabbath, the group he formed in 1969 alongside guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward.
The group are widely credited with inventing and popularising the heavy mental genre of music.
As a solo artist Osbourne has released 11 albums, with his debut Blizzard Of Ozz issued in 1980.
It featured two of his most revered songs, Crazy Train and Mr Crowley.
Birmingham-born Osbourne has sold more than 100 million records worldwide with Black Sabbath and as a solo artist.
He married Sharon in 1982 and they have three children together, Aimee, Jack and Kelly.
The family featured in their own reality TV show, The Osbournes, which first aired in 2002.
