Ozzy Osbourne, Afraid Of Flying High Again?
Posted by Dana Suzanne on 02.19.2004
Singer Expresses Fear Of A Drug Relapse To Diane Sawyer
Rock icon Ozzy Osbourne's near-fatal accident last December has left him fearful of becoming dependent on painkillers again, and wondering if he'll ever perform again, reports Adam Buckman of the New York Post.com.
Osbourne, 55, was seriously injured on Dec. 8 at his estate in Buckinghamshire, England, when he lost control of an all-terrain vehicle and crashed.
The accident left the singer with multiple broken bones including his left collarbone, eight ribs and one vertebra.
His wife, Sharon, told a British newspaper that Osbourne had stopped breathing for up to a minute and a half and briefly had no pulse. He was resuscitated by a quick-thinking security guard and rushed to a hospital.
Currently, Osbourne wears a neck-and-back brace and is taking pain medication, which concerns him because of his history of drug and alcohol addiction.
"I've been fighting that battle [against addiction] for nearly 20 years," he says. "I can't just stop."
The accident was only the latest in a series of woes for the Osbourne family. Sharon battled cancer last year and son Jack was in rehab.
In addition, Sharon learned recently that her syndicated talk show will not be renewed for a second season. In tonight's interview, she makes light of the cancellation.
Tonight's interview is a huge "get" for Sawyer since it's the first time Ozzy, Sharon and their two children, Kelly and Jack, have talked about Ozzy's accident on TV.
The interview comes on the heels of Sawyer's discussion with actor/director Mel Gibson Monday night in his first TV interview about his controversial new movie, "The Passion of the Christ."
Tonight's interview is Sawyer's first prime-time chat with the Osbournes, who were interviewed by Barbara Walters the first two times they appeared on ABC, in September 2003 and November 2002.
Source: Buckman, Adam "Ozzy Afraid Of Drug Addiction Relapse " nypost.com 19 February 2004
