OZZY OSBOURNE Is 'Playing Around With Some Song Ideas' For Next Solo Album

In a brand new interview with Metro, Ozzy Osbourne was asked for his plans for after BLACK SABBATH completes its "The End" tour in early 2017. He said: "I'm currently playing around with some song ideas. I have a few things jotted down, and once BLACK SABBATH is off the road, I will be heading into the studio with my band to get the songs recorded. Once it's all in the can, you can be sure to see me back on the road again."

Ozzy's wife and manager Sharon Osbourne recently told Rolling Stone that the 67-year-old singer will carry on as a solo artist after BLACK SABBATH's farewell tour comes to an end. "We'll continue until Ozzy finishes, and Ozzy won't be long behind them when he calls it a day," she said.

"It's not going to be within the next year, but it's coming up," she said. "I don't want Ozzy singing 'Crazy Train' at 75. I think it's best you go out before you hit that 70 and go out on top."

Ozzy told Billboard that he is not planning on hanging it up once SABBATH has retired from touring. "I just get on with it," he said. "I'm not stopping, Terry [BLACK SABBATH bassist Geezer Butler] is not stopping; we're just stopping SABBATH. We're not gonna sit in our rocking chairs and look at our scrapbook. We'll still be involved in the music scene; that's what we’ve always done. It's been the best thing that ever happened to me."

Ozzy told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that he wanted to keep performing for fans as long as he could. "I don't wanna stop, you know," he said. "It's been the biggest love affair of my life. When you reach a certain age in rock 'n' roll, people think, 'Well, this has got to be his last tour,' or 'This has got to be his last tour,' or 'You've got to come next Tuesday 'cause he ain't gonna do it after that.' You'll know when I've come off the road permanently. I mean, you'll know!"

Ozzy has not released an all-new solo album since 2010's "Scream", having spent the last few years touring with BLACK SABBATH and recording that band's "13" album.

Epic Records president Sylvia Rhone told Billboard in August 2015 that Osbourne was working on a "really special album." She added, "It's going to be amazing. It's something Ozzy has never done before that he's always wanted to do."