Ozzy Osbourne will be remembered as the leading frontman for Black Sabbath, and just two weeks ago, the band reunited for their Back to the Beginning farewell show in their hometown of Birmingham. The singer died on Tuesday at the age of 76, and tributes have been pouring in from all over the world. His death was confirmed by his family in a statement which read: “It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time. Sharon, Jack, Kelly, Aimee and Louis.”
Known for his nickname, the “Prince of Darkness,” the rock icon heavily contributed to the sound of heavy metal in the music industry. Ozzy is also remembered for his infamous performances, notably when he bit a bat’s head off live on stage in January 1982. But what actually happened?
During a concert in Des Moines, Iowa, a fan threw a live bat onto the stage. This wasn’t unusual, as fans had become accustomed to throwing rubber snakes and cockroaches during performances. Today, there still remains debate as to whether the bat was alive or dead when it was thrown on stage.
Ozzy then assumed the bat was a rubber toy and picked it up and bit its head off. It was not a toy. The singer noted in his 2010 memoir that as soon as he chomped onto the bat, he knew something was seriously wrong.
“For a start, my mouth was instantly full of this warm, gloopy liquid, with the worst aftertaste you could ever imagine. I could feel it staining my teeth and running down my chin. Then the head in my mouth twitched,” he recalled.
“Next thing I knew, I was in a wheelchair, being rushed into an emergency room,” he wrote. “Meanwhile, a doctor was saying to Sharon [Osbourne], ‘Yes, Miss Arden, the bat was alive. It was probably stunned from being at a rock concert, but it was definitely alive. There’s a good chance Mr. Osbourne now has rabies.'”
Whether intentional or not, the bat bite incident became synonymous with Ozzy and his brand. According to the Des Moines Register, Ozzy had to take multiple rabies shots “every night for the rest of the tour.”
Years later, the singer sold bat plushie toys with a detachable head and bat-themed makeup.
Prior to their comeback show at Villa Park in Birmingham last month, Black Sabbath had gone 20 years without performing together on stage. The last time all bandmates appeared together was back in 2005, when they performed at Ozzfest.