Ozzy Osbourne biting off a bat’s head – ‘It was a mistake!’ claims star after rabies shots OZZY OSBOURNE bit the head off a bat and has since shared how the bizarre incident came to be In an interview with David Letterman in 1982, Ozzy revealed that he had to get rabies shots after biting the bat. “I can assure you the rabies shots I went through afterwards aren’t fun,” he said (via Loudwire). The Prince Of Darkness later claimed that he had to receive rabies shots for three weeks after the incident, as well. On January 20, 1982, Ozzy Osbourne bites the head off of a bat and has to go to the hospital. He has to get 24 rabies shots in a month. Ozzy later said he needed rabies shots afterward. While it certainly wasn’t intentional, it became legendary. But before this famous incident, Osbourne had allegedly also bitten the head off a dove in 1981! Over the last few years, he had been battling multiple health issues, including a Parkinson’s diagnosis in 2020. In a 2022 PEOPLE interview, Ozzy Osbourne reflected on biting a head off a bat during his 1982 concert and how the moment would live on after his death. Osbourne's family announced his death at I had to go to the hospital afterward and get rabies shots, one in each rear," Osbourne said. The bat incident caused headlines, and Ozzy Osbourne received mainstream attention, being invited to The David Letterman Show. On the talk show, Osbourne repeated that the rabies shots were not "fun." Ozzy Osbourne’s infamous bat-biting incident still makes people ask, “Why on earth did he do that?” You might imagine some wild, planned stunt, but the real story involves a teenage fan, an unlucky bat and a very surprised rock star. Osbourne bit the head off a bat during his Diary of a Madman concert in Des Moines. Ozzy Osbourne, the famous Black Sabbath rocker who died on July 22, at 76, will always be remembered by his infamous 1982 black-biting incident. More than 40 years ago, Ozzy bit the head off a real bat. On January 20, 1982, Ozzy, during his Diary of a Madman tour at the Des Moines Veterans Memorial Did Ozzy Osbourne really eat a bat onstage? Rock's most outrageous rumor, explained The answer, like so many things in life, is complicated. Forty years ago tonight, Ozzy Osbourne inadvertently bit the head off a live bat, leading to rabies shots and countless headlines. Rock legend Ozzy Osbourne died July 22 at 76. The rock legend left Des Moines "with bat taste in mouth" after a show in 1982. The legendary late rocker Ozzy Osbourne was known for bizarre antics and wild acts, but his most infamous was biting off a dead bat's head in 1982. Ozzy Osbourne, the self-proclaimed Prince of Darkness had a trail of chaos behind him, from biting the head off a bat to his cat-killing confession Did Ozzy Osbourne get rabies shots after 1982 Des Moines concert? Bat biting incident explored as English rock icon passes away at 76 Osbourne bit the head off a bat during his Diary of a Madman concert in Des Moines. posted by Nirali Sheth Wednesday 7/23/2025 at 1:59AM EDT Ozzy Osbourne (Photo: Instagram/@ozzyosbourne) Ozzy Osbourne’s life was filled with shocking moments, and there’s several that were worse than the infamous bat-biting incident. The legendary frontman of heavy metal group Black Sabbath died 4 The story of Ozzy Osbourne biting the head off a bat is legendary and infamous and often distorted. We got some of your favorite rock and metal musicians, as well as some fans, to do their best to recall this historic moment as they’ve heard it through the years. Did Ozzy Osbourne, who died today at the age of XX, really bite the head off a live bat? How did the Ozzy Osbourne bat-biting debacle become one of the greatest, most legendary tales in rock and metal? That's what we're here to explore! Mark Neal had good reason to ask that question Did Ozzy get rabies shots? Osbourne admitted that the bat bit him in the process, and he got a rabies shot. While the legendary rock star claimed the bat was alive, the young fan who threw it on
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