Ozzy Osbourne Drops ‘Patient Number 9,’ the Title Track From All-Star New LP
Ozzy Osbourne is wasting no time as he recovers from a recent surgery: On Friday, the Prince of Darkness released his single “Patient Number 9,” and its video is accompanied by work by comic book hero Todd McFarlane.
The video features an institutionalized Osbourne, the titular Patient Number 9, as well as an illustrated version of the singer courtesy of McFarlane’s pen. In both reality and animation, Osbourne attempts to fight off his demons in the visual.
The single is the first from Osbourne’s upcoming album – also titled Patient Number 9 – which arrives, fittingly, on September 9, or 9/9. The all-star, Andrew Watt-produced LP features contributions from Jeff Beck (who plays on the title track), Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, Zakk Wylde, Metallica’s Robert Trujillo, Duff McKagan, Eric Clapton and the late Taylor Hawkins. Osbourne’s longtime Black Sabbath band mate Tony Iommi also makes his first-ever appearance on an Ozzy solo album.
“The song is about a mental institution,” Osbourne said of the title track in a statement. “Having someone like Jeff Beck play on my album is just incredible, a total honor. There’s no other guitar player that plays like him and his solo on ‘Patient Number 9’ is just jaw-dropping.”
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McFarlane previously teased the song’s release on Wednesday, sharing a drawing and writing, “SOMETHING BIG COMING! *See tomorrow for SUPER SNEAK PEEK! @OzzyOsbourne.”
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Having worked with Ozzy in the past, I jumped at another opportunity to do so again…especially on the music side this time,” McFarlane said in a statement. “In the harsh business called the music industry, any creative person who’s sustained a multi-decades career has shown the skill, talent and tenacity that will always garner my admiration. Ozzy has shown many of us creative folks that it’s indeed possible to make a living doing what you love for nearly an entire lifetime. Go, Ozzy!”
The new track comes about a week and a half after Osbourne shared an update to fans that he was “home from the hospital recuperating comfortably” from a surgery that his wife Sharon had said would “determine the rest of his life.”
“Your love means the world to him,” Sharon wrote at the time. She also shared a throwback photo and added, “He’s feeling good!”
During a recent episode of The Talk, Sharon had said she would be returning to Los Angeles to be by her husband’s side as he recovered from his surgery.
“He has a very major operation on Monday, and I have to be there,” she told the audience. “It’s really going to determine the rest of his life.”
Ozzy has been battling Parkinson’s disease for several years now and has opened up in the past about his trouble with mobility, partly due to a 2003 ATV accident.
On the music front, Osbourne released a 30th anniversary edition of his song “Hellraiser” featuring the late Motörhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister and also dropped a 40th-anniversary edition of Diary of a Madman, both in 2021. He also appeared on Post Malone’s “Take What You Want” in 2019.
