Attention Music Downloaders: You Are Killing Ozzy Osbourne

Over the last few weeks, in the wake of the OiNK bust and whatnot, there has been a lot of loose talk that selling music, whether physical or digital, is a dead end and the future for working musicians is in touring and merch and liscensing. Well, to your left is the human face of all this theorizing. And he’s not doing well.

“Sharon said I’d be astounded to find out how many bands are touring because you can download a record but you can’t beat a rock show.

“I’ve never done in a long time as many live shows as I’m doing now. This year I’ve done 90 shows.

“I mean, I ain’t getting any younger. Sharon says to me ‘Just stand there’. I can’t just f—ing stand there! I’m a moving target. People would aim their can of beer at my head!”

Ozzy will soon be 59 years old. Leave aside the fact that he’s wealthy enough to retire immediately and assisted-live out the next 10 or 15 years in a pleasant haze of medication and trips to the duck pond. That he never has to put another record out to continue earning off his existing catalog. That he spent most of his career pickling the life out of himself with excess. And that the Ozzfest brand is strong enough to survive without a yearly appearance by the big man himself. Don’t you see that very time you download music, you are forcing an infirm man to shorten his lifespan?

Ozzy Osbourne Battles On [Australia Herald-Sun via Blabbermouth]