Ozzy Osbourne’s Most Famous Scandal Happened in Iowa

Ozzy Osbourne has had plenty of famous (and kinda funny) scandals over the years. The rocker famously was arrested for taking a leak on the Alamo Cenotaph in 1982. That got him a short time in jail (he bonded out for $40), and he played the same night to a full sellout audience in San Antonio. That incident was witnessed by some, as was the time Ozzy bit the head off of a dove. Yeah, he likes to bite off heads. But those really didn't stick with the name Ozzy Osbourne the same way as the scandalous bat incident where Ozzy bit off the head of a live bat... in Iowa. That's right, Ozzy's most infamous story occurred.

Ozzy left Iowa with a bat taste in his mouth

Let me set the stage for you: it was January 20, 1982... Ozzy was playing in front of a full house, roughly 5,000 fans, at Des Moines, Veterans Memorial Auditorium. One of the members of that audience pitched a bat onto the stage. It quickly caught the attention of the Prince Of Effing Darkness who grabbed the flying mammal and... ate its head off in front of the audience.

Now a couple of things, one - Ozzy is not a dumb guy. He knew you don't eat bats Hell, 2020 taught us that YOU DON'T EAT BATS. This is nothing new. Number two, Ozzy was likely fired up, and being a showman, he got a bit carried away. However, again, he did not think it was real. He thought it was rubber. In a story from our digital partners at Ultimate Classic Rock, they mention at the time of this incident, Ozzy was at the height of his drug problem so, that didn't help. But as the famous story goes, Ozzy grabbed the (not rubber) bat and it bit him before he bit its head off. As a result, Ozzy needed to be treated for rabies.

Ozzy's rabies treatment wasn't just one shot

Ozzy didn't just waltz over to Mercy Hospital Medical Center in Des Moines and get a shot, he needed a four-day regiment of rabies treatment which equals out to five total shots according to a write-up on the incident from the Des Moines Register. Many thought it was a publicity stunt and that Ozzy, treatment included, was just building a reputation. Needless to say, that was not the case. Luckily, as we've learned, nothing kills Ozzy Osbourne. Literally, nothing. And that's a good thing.