John Oates delivers sombre truth after Ozzy Osbourne's demise

John Oates just reflected on his own mortality after the demise of his contemporary and rock legend Ozzy Osbourne.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly to promote his recently released self-titled album, Oates, the 77-year-old musician revealed he will make sure to make the most of his life after the sudden death of Osbourne.

He said, “I see the horizon's a little closer for me now than it was back when I was younger, which is as it should be, really.”

The Out of Touch crooner went on to note that the feeling made him want to “step away” from Hall and Oates and “make a statement on my own” as a solo artist after losing a great number of remarkable musicians, especially the recent loss of Osbourne.

“When I look around, and I don't want to become morose about this, but when I look around... Even just recently Ozzy Osbourne, you know? So many people are passing away. People who are my age — younger than me, even — and I see them falling by the wayside for any number of reasons,” Oates quipped.

The Your Imagination hitmaker admitted he has started to realize “there’s a time stamp on my creative life” as well so he tries to spend every second of his life wisely.

“I'm still at the point in my life where I can still write, I can still sing, I can still play. I’ve got something to give, and who knows how long it's going to last. And so I take it very seriously,” Oates stated.

For the unversed, Osbourne, the founding member of Black Sabbath and pioneer of heavy metal, succumbed to a heart attack at the age of 76 on July 22, 2025.