Ozzy breaks from festival to be with sick wife
After performing at this weekend’s Ozzfest stops, tour namesake and headliner Ozzy Osbourne plans to take a lengthy break from the outing to be with wife Sharon as she begins chemotherapy treatment for colon cancer.
After performing at this weekend’s Ozzfest stops, tour namesake and headliner Ozzy Osbourne plans to take a lengthy break from the outing to be with wife Sharon as she begins chemotherapy treatment for colon cancer.
Ozzfest touches down in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Friday (7/26) and Atlanta on Sunday (7/28). Ozzy is scheduled to be off the tour from Aug. 3 through Aug. 20, and hopes to return to the roster on Aug. 22, according to his publicist.
“This has been one of the hardest decisions I’ve had to make and I’m hoping that my fans will understand,” Ozzy said in a press release. “Ozzfest must continue with or without me since it’s Sharon’s baby. I want to thank all the bands on Ozzfest and my crew for all their love and support, especially System of a Down.”
In Ozzy’s absence, System of a Down will move into the tour’s headlining slot. The main-stage lineup also includes Rob Zombie, P.O.D., Drowning Pool, Adema and Ozzy Osbourne-guitarist Zakk Wylde’s Black Label Society.
On the dates that Ozzy is not performing, Sharon--who manages Ozzy’s career and organizes Ozzfest--has arranged for all fans attending Ozzfest 2002 to receive “a free special treat from the food concessions at each show,” according to the press release.
Earlier this month, the Osbournes announced that Sharon had been diagnosed with colon cancer, and that Ozzfest’s first two dates were being postponed so that she could undergo surgery. Last week, the Osbournes revealed that her cancer had spread, and that she would begin chemotherapy treatment on Monday (7/29).
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