Following Ozzy Osbourne: Here are his wildest moments

Ozzy Osbourne, who has passed away at the age of 76, was not only one of the pioneers of heavy metal, but also one of the most unique and unforgettable figures in music history. Known as the "Prince of Darkness," Osbourne remained in the spotlight throughout his career, not only for his music but also for the scandals he created. Here are some of the Prince of Darkness's unforgettable moments.

Compiled by: Petek Ugur

At a 1982 concert in Iowa, an audience member threw a bat onto the stage. Osbourne, believing it wasn't real, bit the bat's head. His mouth filled with blood. Ozzy didn't go to the hospital until after the concert. He was taken to the hospital afterward and received a rabies shot. For years afterward, the question remained, "Was it real?" Osbourne said, "It was real; that bat was alive." The bat became a symbol that would stick with him forever.

In 1981, Ozzy Osbourne ushered in a new era. To celebrate signing a deal with CBS Records, he went to the company with two pigeons. His plan was simple: He would release the birds and spread a message of peace. But things didn't go as planned. Osbourne lost his temper and bit the head off one of the pigeons. Then he bit another. Osbourne was kicked out. "You'll never have another job at CBS again," he was told. But his career wasn't over. Years later, Osbourne recounted the moment:

"The bird was already dead. I bit its head off so it wouldn't go to waste."

Another interesting moment occurred in 1984 when Ozzy inhaled an ant while on tour with Mötley Crüe. There was a rumor that Ozzy inhaled live ants from melting ice cream on the floor during a hotel stay on tour. Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee claimed the incident happened, and Ozzy confirmed it in 2024: “I know people ask me that all the time. They’re like, ‘Dude, really?’ Absolutely! There’s no way you’re making this up.”

In 1982, while driving drunk in Texas, Osbourne urinated on the Alamo Monument, a historical symbol of America. The city of San Antonio banned him from the city for 10 years. Years later, Osbourne regretted the incident. He apologized, donated $10,000, and revisited the monument. Alamo officials hailed his return as "a story of remorse and reconciliation."

One of the darkest moments in Ozzy Osbourne's life occurred during a period when his alcohol and drug use were at their peak. Years later, he confessed to killing 17 cats with a rifle. Afterward, his wife, Sharon Osbourne, found him under the piano, holding a rifle and a knife.

It wasn't just a moment of crisis, it was a symbol of what Osbourne called a "complete loss of control of life."

In the 1970s, Ozzy Osbourne's relationship with LSD was intense. One day, after taking 10 doses of LSD, he found himself in a field. He said he talked to a horse for hours. He claimed that at the end of this experience, the horse turned to him and said, "Get lost." Osbourne said he stopped using LSD after this incident.

During the 1981 Diary of a Madman tour, Osbourne began throwing raw meat onto the stage. It was part of the show. The pieces of meat on stage quickly sparked a response from the audience. Sheep testicles, snakes, dead animals were thrown onto the stage. Even a live frog was thrown on one occasion. The chaos became part of the show.

Years later, Osbourne described that period as follows:

"It used to be in the movies, where they would attack each other with cake. So I tried it with meat."

But the idea of performing became tiring for him after a while. Every concert became a race, with the audience expecting more than the previous night. Osbourne said he eventually grew tired of the game.

Ozzy Osbourne's career was as heavy as his history of addiction. He was fired from Black Sabbath in 1979 for alcohol and drug abuse. During that time, he faced not only musical but also personal disasters.

Osbourne was arrested in 1989 for attempting to strangle Sharon. He recounted the incident in a 2007 interview: “I woke up in this tiny solitary cell with human excrement on the walls and thought, ‘What the hell have I done?’ A police officer read me a piece of paper and said, ‘You are being charged with the attempted murder of Miss Sharon Osbourne.’ I can’t describe how I felt. I just went numb.”

He admitted to returning to drugs and drink in 2013. "I was in a dark place, behaving disgustingly towards the people I loved most," he said.

Osbourne broke his neck in an ATV accident in 2003, suffocating and nearly dying. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2020 and has undergone numerous surgeries. "Every morning you see things getting worse," he said of this process. He said he felt like he was sinking into darkness, and Sharon brought him back to life.

He was remembered for years for his cruelty towards animals. The bat and pigeon incidents were dark chapters that transformed his name into legend. But in the final years of his life, there was a different Ozzy.

In 2020, she collaborated with PETA, taking part in a campaign against cat declawing. She advocated for animal rights, saying, "This isn't a manicure, it's an amputation."

PETA released the following statement following Ozzy's death:

Ozzy Osbourne was a legend and a provocateur, but PETA will remember the 'Prince of Darkness' most for his kindness to animals, and most recently, to cats. He used his fame to condemn painful and crippling declawing methods. Ozzy may have been a singer, but his wife, Sharon, and daughter, Kelly, were on the same page about protecting animals. Ozzy will be missed by animal rights advocates everywhere.

He played his final concert in Birmingham on July 5, 2025. He brought Black Sabbath back to the stage with his former bandmates. Sitting on his bat-shaped throne, he sang. "I'm Iron Man, go crazy!" he declared, energizing a crowd of thousands one last time.

Ozzy Osbourne wasn't just a stage figure; he was the man who bit the bat's head. He was a warrior who continued to pursue music despite broken bones. He battled the beast within himself for years. Sometimes he lost, sometimes he won. But he was always on stage.

Source: Daily Mail & The Guardian