Like most chapters of rock lore, the bat-biting was born of a rare mix of calculation and coincidence. Osbourne already had been prone to decapitations of winged creatures: He bit the head off a Ozzy Osbourne, also known as the Prince of Darkness, has long cultivated a reputation for doing insane, disgusting, attention-grabbing things. One of the oldest stories about Ozzy Osbourne's borderline behavior involves him biting the head off a bat. Here's the truth about Ozzy's bat-biting. Biting a Bat and 5 Other Wild Moments From Ozzy Osbourne’s Life Alcohol and drugs were often involved in funny, bizarre and terrible incidents in the heavy metal legend’s long career. Ozzy Osbourne sadly passed away on Tuesday, and one of the singer's most infamous moments was when he bit the head off a live bat. But what really happened? Did Ozzy Osbourne, who died today at the age of XX, really bite the head off a live bat? Tributes are pouring in for Ozzy Osbourne after the legendary rocker's death was announced by family on Tuesday, July 22. He died surrounded by his family in Birmingham, England, at the age of 76 Ozzy Osbourne was already a heavy metal legend in the 80s, but one act launched him into mainstream fame. On January 20th, 1982, Ozzy Osbourne chowed his way into shock rock history. In front of 5000 people in Des Moines, he bit into a poor bat. Word of Osbourne’s demise came weeks after the ailing front man reunited with his original Black Sabbath bandmates. We’re coming up on another anniversary of Ozzy Osbourne and The Bat Incident on January 20, and to commemorate the iconic and insane moment, let’s debunk a couple of myths about that 1982 Did Ozzy Osbourne really eat a bat onstage? Rock's most outrageous rumor, explained The answer, like so many things in life, is complicated. Ozzy Osbourne, who has died at the age of 76, helped forge the sound that became known as heavy metal - and on top of that, the frontman practically invented the image of the wild rock star. Ozzy Osbourne’s Genes Really Were Wired for Alcohol and Addiction His genome held strange secrets: a turbocharged alcohol gene, rewired brain chemistry, and a slow-burn caffeine receptor. 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 More than 40 years after one of metal’s most controversial moments, people still ask, “Why did Ozzy Osbourne bite the head off a bat?” Turns out there’s a side of the story you've probably News of Osbourne’s death comes more than five years after he announced his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis in January 2020. Ozzy Osbourne. Actor: Little Nicky. One of the pioneers of heavy metal and one of its most commercially successful and iconic artists, Ozzy Osbourne was born in Birmingham, England, as John Michael Osbourne. After leaving school and having many odd jobs, he ended up in a band with Geezer Butler. This group then split, leading Ozzy and Geezer to join Tony Iommi and Bill Ward in a new band that Ozzy Osbourne John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (3 December 1948 – 22 July 2025) was an English heavy metal singer. Osbourne was born in Marston Green Hospital in Marston Green, England. [2] He grew up in Aston, Birmingham, England. He has dyslexia. [3] He was convicted of burglary when he was a teenager, [3] for which he was fined. 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!
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