A Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne

DES MOINES, 1982. The lights are blinding, the amps roaring. Ozzy Osbourne, mid-show, commands the chaos, until something strange happens. A bat. Lifeless. Is thrown from the crowd. Thinking it’s a prop, he picks it up and bites. But, it’s real! Ozzy freezes. Within hours, he’s rushed to the hospital for rabies shots. A moment of madness? An accident? Either way, rock history was written that night. 

Follow the story of Ozzy Osbourne with a book of authentic newspaper articles, curated by Historic Newspapers. This edition documents key milestones in Ozzy’s history — exactly as they were reported at the time. Relive:

– Iconic concerts, including the famous Iowa bat incident
– Ozzy’s struggle with substance abuse and tension within the band
– The launch and success of the MTV series The Osbournes

Choose from a range of book covers and personalize your copy with a name and message to create a unique keepsake. Whether for an Ozzy fan, a music history enthusiast, or someone who remembers it all first-hand — you hold not just a gift, but a piece of music history ready to be passed on.

Archivist insight: We reproduce these newspaper articles from scan archives. In some cases, there’ll be blemishes and the reproduction quality might not be as clear or precise as it was in the original paper.