JUDAS PRIEST singer
Rob Halford has commented on
Ozzy Osbourne's latest hospitalization.
The legendary British heavy metal band was scheduled to tour Europe with the
BLACK SABBATH frontman before
Ozzy canceled the trek when he was admitted to the hospital due to complications from the flu.
Asked by Australia's
Heavy if
Ozzy's latest health scare makes him question his own mortality, the 67-year-old
Halford said (hear audio below): "We love
Ozzy to death. Oh my God! When you say '
Ozzy,' your head is full of this remarkable man's career and all the wonderful things he's done for rock and roll, for metal. He's touched so many millions of people's lives, and we're really, really happy that he's recovering.
"It's gonna be fantastic — isn't it? — when we're all together again,"
Rob continued.
"Life is life. And you do what you can to deal with the adversity that puts itself in your path. We're going through that with
Glenn [
Tipton,
JUDAS PRIEST guitarist]. Let me just rephrase that —
Glenn's going through that himself with his great battle against Parkinson's [disease] that he's dealing with. And he's a wonderful example — a really, really strong, powerful example — of somebody that's fighting back and pushing back and still living an active life with this challenge.
"
Glenn comes out and joins us when he can. He's still an active, full member of
JUDAS PRIEST. If he's not able to make [the upcoming]
Download [festival appearances in Australia], he's with us in spirit, in the songs that he's written, and he's up on the big screen.
"So, yeah, it is what it is. We're all getting on. But we're absolutely determined to keep going and live our lives in metal and share it with our fans."
Ozzy's wife
Sharon first broke the news of his hospitalization on February 6. Since then, she and son
Jack Osbourne have kept a close eye on the singer, with his condition improving with every passing day.
Tipton, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease five years ago — after being stricken by the condition at least half a decade earlier — announced in early 2018 that he was going to sit out touring activities in support of
PRIEST's latest album,
"Firepower". The guitarist, who is now 71 and has performed on every
PRIEST record since the band's 1974 debut set,
"Rocka Rolla", is not quitting the band, but simply cannot handle the rigorous challenges of performing live. He is being replaced on tour by
"Firepower" album producer
Andy Sneap, also known for his work as the guitar player in NWOBHM revivalists
HELL and cult thrash outfit
SABBAT.
PRIEST will return to the United States in May for a run with fellow classic heavy rockers
URIAH HEEP.
