Ozzy Osbourne says he was first diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2003

ABC/Image Group LAAlthough he only recently revealed his diagnosis, Ozzy Osbourne has been fighting Parkinson’s disease for nearly 20 years.

The metal legend tells the Los Angeles Times that he was first diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2003.

“I’m not dying from Parkinson’s. I’ve been working with it most of my life,” Ozzy says. “I’ve cheated death so many times. If tomorrow you read ‘Ozzy Osbourne never woke up this morning,’ you wouldn’t go, ‘Oh, my God!’ You’d go, ‘Well, it finally caught up with him.'”

Despite his lengthy battle with the condition, Osbourne didn’t reveal he had Parkinson’s until an interview on ABC’s Good Morning America just last month. According to his wife, Sharon, he’s been diagnosed with a form of Parkinson’s called PRKN 2.

“It’s not a death sentence by any stretch of the imagination, but it does affect certain nerves in your body,” Sharon explained.

Ozzy will release a new album called Ordinary Man next Friday, February 21. He plans to embark on a North American tour in May, after it was postponed from 2019 due to a variety of health issues.