Last month, Ozzy Osbourne shocked the rock world by revealing he has Parkinson's disease, a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system. At the time, it appeared the rocker received the diagnosis in 2019. But now, Osbourne has indicated that he learned of the diagnosis much earlier.

That's what's come forward from a new interview with the 71-year-old "Prince of Darkness." On Wednesday (Feb. 12), the Los Angeles Times wrote that Osbourne was "first diagnosed back in 2003." Last month, the musician's appearance on Good Morning America made it seem more recent.

"I'm not dying from Parkinson's," Osbourne explained to the newspaper this week. "I've been working with it most of my life. 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.'"

In January, the musician's wife, Sharon Osbourne, echoed Ozzy's sentiments. She also said the diagnosis didn't spell the end for Ozzy when the pair took part in a television interview on the morning of Jan. 21.

"It's PRKN 2," Sharon told Good Morning America host Robin Roberts. "There's so many different types of Parkinson's; it's not a death sentence by any stretch of the imagination, but it does affect certain nerves in your body. And it's … like you have a good day, a good day, and then a really bad day."

The musician currently takes medication for the ailment.

His new solo album, Ordinary Man, arrives Feb. 21. The effort contains the previously released singles "Under the Graveyard," "Straight to Hell," and the title track, which features a guest appearance from Elton John. Not to mention, the rockstar plans to hit the road again soon.

"It's been a pretty incredible, interesting career," Ozzy added in the interview this week. "People have written me off time and time again, but I kept coming back and I'm going to come back from this."

Photos: Ozzy Osbourne Through the Years

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