Ozzy Osbourne is "getting ready to tour next April" in support of his new solo album, Ozzy's wife/manager Sharon Osbourne revealed during an appearance on the "Dr. Phil" show earlier today (Thursday, December 14). "Three years this Christmas, [he's] clean and sober," she added.
Osbourne was previously said to be working on two brand new studio CDs. The first album is tentatively set for release in February 2007. Most of the music was recorded before Ozzfest in May with Mike Bordin (drums), Rob "Blasko" Nicholson (bass) and Zakk Wylde (guitar). Wylde recently announced that he had to cancel three tour dates in October with his band BLACK LABEL SOCIETY to finish up obligations in the studio in connection with the new album. The second effort will be the soundtrack to Ozzy's musical about controversial Russian politician Grigory Rasputin. The album will be released first, and then the play will debut on Broadway or as a touring show according to Osbourne.
In a recent interview, Ozzy said, "We wrote a song called 'Rasputin' (for the 1995 'Ozzmosis' album), but then it never got used, you know, and then every now and again I'd try to find this tape of songs. We wrote a bunch of songs, and I put this tape on and thought, 'You know what? That would be a great musical.' It kind of grew on its own. It's the traditional 'Fiddler on the Roof'-type of music, plus the kind of BEATLES-y kind of influence. There's this wonderful song that goes, 'How dark it is before the dawn, the day begins, a child is born.' It's beautiful. I'm really happy about it. I hope the rest of the world is. I spent 10 years of my f—king life in this thing."
