Ozzy Ozbourne's infamous bat-biting incident resurfaces after son Jack says no bat disease could ever kill dad
Unless you are living under a rock, you would know that the world has been hit by a virus that reportedly first originated in bats. And when you think of bats... remember that time when Ozzy Osbourne shocked his fans at a concert and became the "the man that bit the head off the bat?"
Coronavirus has spread a wildfire across the globe and scientists have found out bats are the natural reservoir of a range of coronaviruses (CoVs). In times of the COVID-19 crisis, Jack Osbourne made a reference to the time when his father Ozzy bit the head of a bat and told Entertainment Tonight: "Here's the thing, I am not letting a disease started by bats kill my dad. That's not how this is going, OK? This is not some giant revenge plot from bats to get my dad back."
So, what really happened back in 1982 during a concert in Iowa that the rockstar bit the head of a bat? Shedding light on the infamous stunt, the 'Prince of Darkness' told Los Angeles Daily News, "It's not the way I want to be remembered [but] I know I'll be the man that bit the head off the bat," and continued, "That will be my epitaph. It won't be, 'Here lies Ozzy Osbourne … he did a bit of good …' It's going to be 'The bat-biting lunatic,' which … I don't care."
There was a lot of confusion around the incident, and speculation about whether the bat was dead or alive. According to Rolling Stone, it was alive and Osbourne first thought it was a rubber toy. Allegedly, the 17-year-old boy named Mark Neal who threw it onto the stage said it was brought dead. Later, Osbourne said in the 2002 edition of 'Diary of a Madman' that the bat was alive and bit him in return. In his later interviews, he also confessed how he was treated for rabies and had to get injected with very, very long needles, which were anti-rabies shots.
Jack confirmed his 71-year-old father has now been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, but Jack confirmed that the Black Sabbath singer "is doing pretty good" amid the pandemic. Meanwhile, Jack is struggling with his relapses of multiple sclerosis.
Talking about his medical condition, he said, "I'm on a really good routine at home. I'm exercising every day, I'm like being one of those [people]. Trying to do good at home, I'm just not posting about it." The entire Osbourne family has been self-isolating away from one another, with Kelly posting a clip on how she finally got to hug her brother after testing negative.