Experts Detail How Parkinson's Could Affect Ozzy Osbourne's Singing

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Ozzy Osbourne's recent disclosure of his Parkinson's disease has raised questions about his ability to sing on the next leg of his 'No More Tours 2' farewell tour.

Ozzy received the diagnosis last February after a severe fall that badly injured his neck, he told Good Morning America. He's been on medication to manage the neurological condition since then.

While the tremors most closely associated with Parkinson's might not seem to affect Ozzy's singing, Dr. Rachel Dolhun from the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research recently explained to Forbes the complications Parkinson's poses to vocalists.

"It does this by affecting the way the vocal cords and swallowing muscles actually move," she said. "In people with Parkinson's, oftentimes the voice gets much quieter. The emotion or tone is taken away. This is really a core part of Parkinson's for a lot of people and it becomes a very difficult symptom to manage."

Parkinson's Foundation head John Lehr added that 89 percent of people with Parkinson's experience speech or voice disorders.

"It makes just having a normal conversation, not even just singing, very difficult," he said.

The disease has forced at least two other famous singers into retirement in recent memory.

Linda Ronstadt revealed in 2013 that she retired four years earlier when she began suffering symptoms of Parkinson's. Her diagnosis didn't come until after she retired.

Neil Diamond cited Parkinson's as the reason for his retirement in 2018.

Judas Priest guitarist Glenn Tipton stepped back from the band in 2018 due to his Parkinson's diagnosis, however, he has performed with the band on occasion since.

Ozzy has given no indication that the disease will affect his tour or promotion of his upcoming album, Ordinary Man.

For Ozzy Osbourne tickets and tour dates, go here.

Photo: Getty Images


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