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Ozzy Osbourne, the English singer and media personality who pioneered heavy metal as lead vocalist of Black Sabbath, died on July 22, 2025 at the age of 76.
His family released a statement saying he passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, and requested privacy during their time of mourning.
Throughout his decades‑long career, Ozzy Osbourne’s influence on heavy metal and rock culture was undeniable.
From his groundbreaking work with Black Sabbath to his multi‑platinum solo albums, he consistently pushed musical boundaries.
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His distinctive voice and theatrical flair earned him both critical acclaim and a devoted global following.
Yet alongside his musical achievements, Ozzy became equally famous for his off‑beat and often shocking behaviour. These outrageous moments only served to fuel his legend as 'the Prince of Darkness'.
Below are seven of Ozzy Osbourne’s craziest antics, some bordering on the macabre.
1. Biting the head off a live bat
Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath frontman
On January 20, 1982, during a concert at Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines, Iowa, Osbourne bit the head off a bat that a fan had thrown onto the stage, mistakenly believing it to be a rubber prop.
He later recounted that he felt a 'warm, goopy liquid' in his mouth and realized it was real.
Osbourne was rushed for post‑exposure rabies vaccinations, and the incident cemented his reputation as rock’s 'Prince of Darkness'.
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2. Decapitating two doves at a record‑label meeting
Ozzy Osbourne on stage in the past
In March 1981, during a meeting with CBS Records executives in Los Angeles, Ozzy planned to symbolise peace by releasing two white doves.
Impatient and under the influence of alcohol, he instead seized each bird and bit off its head, spitting the remains onto the conference‑room table.
The horrified executives quickly had him removed from the premises.
This incident shocked everyone present but ultimately helped launch Osbourne's solo career and increase sales of his album, 'Blizzard of Ozz'.
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3. Dismembering a shark, flooding a hotel room in blood
Ozzy Osbourne performing in 1973
While on Black Sabbath’s Diary of a Madman tour later in 1982, Ozzy arranged for a dead shark to be delivered to his hotel suite.
He tore the animal apart and scattered its blood over the walls, floor and furniture.
Although gruesome, the stunt was performed with a deceased specimen and became one of the most notorious rock‑tour tales.
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4. Killing his family’s pet cats
Ozzy Osbourne performing in the past
In a 2007 interview, Ozzy Osbourne admitted that at the height of his addiction in the early 1980s he shot and killed all 17 of his family’s pet cats.
He called it 'the darkest thing' he ever did and expressed deep remorse for the act, saying it was driven by his substance‑fuelled despair rather than any conscious malice.
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5. Hair catches fire in a candle accident
Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne
In January 2013 at his Los Angeles home, a candle exploded in its glass container and ignited nearby fabrics.
In trying to douse the blaze, Ozzy accidentally set his trademark long hair on fire. His eyebrows and cheeks were singed before his wife, Sharon, and firefighters arrived to extinguish the flames.
He escaped major injury but appeared in public with a noticeably shorter hairstyle for weeks.
6. Snorting a line of ants
Ozzy Osbourne on stage
During a joint tour with Mötley Crüe in 1984, Ozzy sought to one‑up the band’s notorious antics.
As the story goes, he discovered a child’s discarded popsicle, with a trail of ants and pretended to snort them like a line of cocaine.
Although exaggerated over time, the tale was later recounted by Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee as proof that Ozzy was the wildest of them all.
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7. Shooting wild birds during lockdown
Ozzy Osbourne performing in 1999
During the 2020 COVID‑19 lockdown, Ozzy confessed to using an air rifle to shoot birds that wandered into his garden.
He later described the incident as a regrettable response to his frustration and loneliness, and emphasised that no serious harm was intended.
These seven episodes, verified by bandmates, family members and contemporary reports, showcase Ozzy Osbourne’s fearless embrace of danger, absurdity and the macabre.
Whether driven by impulse or forethought, his stunts ensured that whenever the 'Prince of Darkness' appeared, the unexpected was all but guaranteed.