Nearly three years before his family announced his death at age 76 on July 22, the Black Sabbath rocker reflected on a 1982 incident at his gig in Des Moines, Iowa — where he bit the head off a Ozzy Osbourne, a rock legend and an unmistakable cultural icon who died July 22 at 76, once famously skipped a Nashville concert at the height of Black Sabbath's fame. Did rock frontman Ozzy Osbourne, who has died at the age of 76, really bite the head off a live bat? Ozzy Osbourne's notorious bat-biting stunt during a 1982 concert in Iowa remains a memorable moment for attendees and has become a lasting part of his legacy. 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. 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 Prince of Darkness nickname was certainly not just because of his jet black looks on stage and all boiled down to once incident. The Black Sabbath icon pushed the limits during his The Aftermath and Legacy of the Bat Incident By October 1982, the auditorium directors changed their rules to ban concert performers from using live animals without management’s consent. When Ozzy returned to Iowa in 2007, he wrote, “No more bats. Love, Ozzy Osbourne,” on a poster at the venue. About six months after he talked about the incident on Letterman, Ozzy appeared on the USA Legendary rocker Ozzy Osbourne bit the head off a live bat in 1982. He explained why the infamous incident was really an accident. Ozzy Osbourne will forever be remembered as the Prince of Darkness — but even in death, his infamous 1982 bat-biting incident will be cemented in rock history. The Black Sabbath frontman died on It’s the most rock and roll story you could ever imagine. In January 1982, Ozzy Osbourne, the pioneer of heavy metal music, shocked, disgusted and terrified the world when he bit a bat’s head off during a concert. Now, as the world mourns his demise, we take a look back at this bizarre incident and how it unfolded Although Osbourne played in New Orleans twice between the incident at the Alamo and his bat-biting, Baton Rouge officials "finally bowed to extreme community pressure" and canceled the concert. 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 One of the most infamous tales in rock history took place when Ozzy Osbourne bit the head off a bat in concert on Jan. 20, 1982. Ozzy Osbourne experienced peaks and valleys throughout his life and career, before his death at age 76 on Tuesday, July 22. Here's a look at his ups and downs. The heavy metal legend, whose death at age 76 was announced Tuesday, was arrested in 1982 for peeing in front of the Alamo. Ozzy Osbourne, whose distinctly dark vocals and appetite for extreme behavior made him the ideal frontman for the transformational heavy metal band Black Sabbath — qualities which also propelled The Bat-Biting Incident: A Real Mistake That Haunted Him On 20 January 1982, during a concert in Des Moines, Iowa, a fan threw what Osbourne assumed was a rubber toy bat onto the stage. 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 The Prince of Darkness, who bestowed Des Moines, Iowa, with one of the most memorable concerts in music history, died on July 22. With Ozzy Osbourne as lead vocalist, Black Sabbath sank its teeth
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