Ozzy Osbourne celebrates double Grammy win: ‘I’m one lucky motherfucker’
The wins came at the end of a tough week for the Prince of Darkness
By Joe Goggins
Ozzy Osbourne has acknowledged his double Grammy win in a new statement, declaring himself “one lucky motherfucker.”
At the ceremony in Los Angeles on Sunday (February 5), the Prince of Darkness took home the awards for Best Rock Album, for last year’s Patient Number 9, and Best Metal Performance, for the track ‘Degradation Rules’, which features his former Black Sabbath bandmate Tony Iommi.
The wins provided an celebratory end to what had been one of the toughest weeks of Osbourne’s career, with his announcement last Wednesday (February 1) that he was retiring from touring and cancelling all future shows, including the ‘No More Tours 2’ European jaunt that had been repeatedly rescheduled since its initial postponement in early 2019.
Now, in a new statement, he has registered his happiness with his Grammy haul. “I’m one lucky motherfucker to have won the ‘Best Rock Album’ Grammy,” he said. “I was blessed to work with some of the greatest musicians in the world and Andrew Watt as my producer on this album.”
“Winning the ‘Best Metal Performance’ was equally gratifying,” he continued, “being that the song featured my longtime friend and Black Sabbath bandmate, Tony Iommi.” The pair of gongs brings his solo Grammy total to three, having previously won Best Metal Performance in 1994, for ‘I Don’t Want to Change the World’ from his Live & Loud album.
Osbourne announced he was stepping back permanently from the road after a gruelling few years of health problems, that included having to undergo major spinal surgery last summer. He performed two tracks with Iommi in August at the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in their native Birmingham, as well as two songs solo at the NFL season opener in Los Angeles in September.
A return to full-time touring, though, appears to be beyond him. “Never would I have imagined that my touring days would have ended this way,” he said in an emotional statement. “Believe me when I say that the thought of disappointing my fans really FUCKS ME UP, more than you will ever know.” He still intends to perform live in some capacity, saying that his team are “currently coming up with ideas for where I will be able to perform without having to travel from city to city and country to country”.