Ozzy Osbourne biting the head off of a dead bat became a big chunk of rock history, and his own.
The Grammy-winning Prince of Darkness and legendary rocker died at 76 on July 22, just weeks after reuniting with his band Black Sabbath for a final show in England.
“It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy has passed away this morning,” Osbourne’s family said in a statement. “He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.”
More: Ozzy Osbourne was rock ‘n’ roll’s ‘Prince of Darkness.’ How he got the twisted nickname
But decades ago — in front of an audience of around 5,000 people — the legendary rocker chomped and chewed on a dead, flying mammal at Veterans Memorial Auditorium (now Iowa Events Center) in Des Moines, Iowa, on Jan. 20, 1982.
“The name of the town of Des Moines is embossed in my head!” Osbourne told The Des Moines Register, part of the USA TODAY Network, in November 2001, on the eve of his first concert since the incident. “I’ve had some mileage from Des Moines!”
The Des Moines bat was dead, according to Mark Neal, who was 17 at the time. His younger brother had brought the bat home from school, alive and flapping, about two weeks before the concert.
Neal believed the bat was dead, but Osbourne argued he felt the head twitch in his mouth − leading him to suspect it was alive when bitten. Carmen Kelly, one of Neal’s friends, suggested keeping it for the upcoming Osbourne show, so he stored it in a freezer.
Rock star Ozzy Osbourne dies at 76, weeks after final Black Sabbath show
On show night, after winning Osbourne tickets from a local radio station, Neal tucked the bat into his pocket, found a close enough spot to the stage, and chucked it toward the band.
“It landed in front of Rudy Sarzo, the bass player,” Neal said. “He looked down at it and motioned to Ozzy and, as they say, the rest is history.”
“It really freaked me out,” Neal told a reporter in 1982. “I won’t get in any trouble for admitting this, will I?”
After the concert ended, Osbourne was treated at a local hospital with rabies shots. Then, years later, a different Osbourne settled down in Iowa, years after her father bit the bat.
What led to Ozzy Osbourne infamously biting the head off a bat in Des Moines?
Kelly Osbourne, Sid Wilson get engaged in front of her parents Ozzy and Sharon: Watch
“Fashion Police” alum and podcast host Kelly Osbourne, 40, lives part-time outside Des Moines, Iowa, with her fiancé Sid Wilson, 48, of Slipknot, whom she got engaged to at her dad’s farewell tour earlier this month.
The daughter of Ozzy and TV personality Sharon Osbourne, 72, also parents to 39-year-old Jack Osbourne, revealed on Instagram last year that “a lot of people don’t know this about Sid and I, but we do actually live in Iowa. And I love being in Iowa. love Iowans.”
This time, Des Moines is embossed on her father’s heart.
Contributing: Kyle Munson, Victoria Reyna-Rodriguez, Matthew Leimkuehler, The Des Moines Register
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ozzy Osbourne bat incident: Late rocker bit bat’s head off
