A giant inflatable caricature of Ozzy Osbourne, which first debuted at this year’s San Diego Comic Con, has “embarked” on a “tour” of the US to promote the iconic rocker’s forthcoming ‘Patient Number 9’ album.
The ultra-sized Ozzy measures in at 25 feet (or 7.62 metres) tall, and was designed by acclaimed comic artist Todd McFarlane. It’s already made a few stops on the “tour” – during which fans will be able to pose with “Ozzy” and its accompanying ‘Patient Number 9’ ambulance van – having appeared on Venice Boardwalk and the rooftop of Gold Diggers in LA, and along the Las Vegas strip.
Today and tomorrow (August 13), fans in South Dakota will be able to see “Ozzy” at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Further dates will be announced in real time – either 24 hours in advance or by surprise, according to Consequence of Sound – via Osbourne’s website.
The inflatable will continue “touring” until September 9, when ‘Patient Number 9’ is primed for release. At the end of the run, the inflatable itself will be given away to a fan.
Thus far, Osbourne has previewed his new album with two singles: the guest-filled title track, which arrived back in June, and last month’s ‘Degradation Rules’.
Last Monday (August 8), Osbourne made a surprise appearance at the closing ceremony for this year’s Commonwealth Games, which took place in his hometown of Birmingham. The Black Sabbath frontman had previously shared his desire to attend, however it was believed he wouldn’t be able to due to his need to recover from a recent operation.
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During his appearance, Osbourne performed the Sabbath hit ‘Paranoid’ with guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Tommy Clufetos and bassist Adam Wakeman. It came after Iommi and saxophonist Soweto Kinch led a dream sequence entitled ‘Hear My Voice’, based on the track from 2020 film The Trial Of The Chicago Seven, re-imagined by R&B vocalists Indigo Marshall and Gambimi.
Specific details of Osbourne’s recent medical procedure have not been confirmed, though he revealed in May that he was awaiting neck surgery as he “can’t walk properly these days” and needed to have physical therapy “every morning”.
Osbourne has suffered several bouts of illnesses and injuries related to accidents over the past few years. Back in January 2020, he confirmed he’d received a “challenging” diagnosis with Parkinson’s disease. He also contracted COVID-19 in April. He updated fans on his health at Comic Con, saying: “I’m getting there. It’s a slow climb back, you know?”
The star is currently scheduled to take his ‘More Tours 2’ show on the road in 2023.