How 2020 Has Brought Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi Closer Than Ever

Black Sabbath might not have any inclination to get back onstage together when the pandemic is behind us, but dinner is almost definitely in the cards.

During a recent conversation Matt Pinfield regarding his debut solo album, Ozzy Osbourne steered the conversation back to his Black Sabbath bandmates.

"They're never that far away from my thoughts, whether I like them today or not," Ozzy said. "Since I've been laid up these last 18 months, Tony Iommi has been such a support for me — so supportive. I've been closer to him in the last 18 months that I ever have been. We never got on for years. But whatever he did before and whatever I did before...

"...It's so important that when you're laid up, somebody cares enough to give you a thought. That's all you need — a phone call or a text. It means that world."

Ozzy has been through the gauntlet over the last two years. He had to cancel tour dates in 2018 with a near-fatal staph infection. Later that winter, he was hospitalized with pneumonia. Not long after being released from the hospital, he tripped at home and badly injured his neck. Ozzy recalled being in so much pain, he thought he was about to die.

The resulting surgery to repair the damage on his neck then revealed that Ozzy is also suffering from advancing Parkinson's disease, which certainly hasn't done any favors for his rehab efforts.

Through the pandemic, Ozzy and Iommi speak regularly, even though they are some 5,000 miles apart, with Ozzy in Los Angeles and Iommi in the U.K.

For Ozzy, Iommi's presence is inspirational, grounding force, and it reminds him not to get too down about his own situation. Iommi was battling cancer during Black Sabbath's last go-around, persevering through sickness and exhaustion while also writing music, performing concerts and meeting deadlines. Ozzy's own extended timetable for recovery isn't lost on him.

"When [Iommi] got diagnosed with cancer, he just dealt with it," Ozzy told Rick Rubin on the Broken Record podcast. "That's him. I'm [crying], and he's like, 'Whatever I have to do.' He's like that. He's always been like that. Very calm."

Ozzy released his 12th studio album, Ordinary Man, this past February. He co-wrote and recording the album as a way to distract him from the monotony of his rehab efforts. While Ozzy might find inspiration in his former bandmate, his own diligence is heartening to his family members.

His eldest daughter Aimée Osbourne explained last month that her father has been working our for hours each day in his mission to get back in shape.

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