Ozzy Osbourne has always been known as one of rock’s wildest personalities and our photo gallery freezes some of his craziest moments.
Ozzy’s career is full of unbelievable stories, yet none is more infamous than the 1982 solo show in Des Moines, Iowa when he bit the head off of a bat. The Prince of Darkness — who claimed the taste was “very salty” — described the incident in an interview with Night Flight. “I thought it was one of those rubber bats,” the rocker explained. “I picked it up and it was a real bat, you know?” The interviewer then asked if the bat was alive when he picked it up, and Ozzy admitted it was, “’Til I bit the head off it.”
Amazingly, this wasn’t even the first animal biting incident of Osbourne’s career. A year prior, the former Black Sabbath singer bit the head off a dove while chatting with Quiet Riot member Rudy Sarzo about the bassist joining Osbourne’s backing band. That same day Osbourne had already bitten the heads off two other doves during a business meeting – an incident his manager and future wife Sharon used to build his media profile.
Although the aforementioned doves had been pre-planted in Osbourne’s clothing that day, most of the rocker’s other wild career moments come across as completely spontaneous, off-the-cuff, and not the least bit overthought. Teeth, babies and an occasional rubber chicken have even played a role in the rocker’s photos.
We’ve assembled pictures from his most uninhibited moments below in the gallery of Our 30 Wildest Ozzy Osbourne Photos.
Our 30 Wildest Ozzy Osbourne Photos
The most memorable photos from Ozzy Osbourne’s career.