Ozzy Death Experience, This Time is For Real... Sadly
- René Delacroix
- Jul 22
- 3 min read
From plane crashes to overdoses, Ozzy Osbourne cheated death more times than we can count. As the Prince of Darkness takes his final bow, we look back at the near-death experiences that made him immortal.
Ozzy Osbourne’s Death-Defying Legacy
Ozzy Osbourne, the Prince of Darkness, has finally joined the great gig in the sky. But if death had its way, he would have left us decades ago. His life wasn’t just rock and roll — it was a relentless dance with mortality. Drugs, diseases, accidents, and even bats couldn’t take him down. Until now.
Here are the most infamous times Ozzy Osbourne looked death in the eye… and laughed.
The Time He Snorted Ants (and Everything Else)
In the early '80s, during his wildest days with Mötley Crüe, Ozzy reportedly snorted a line of ants on tour — after running out of cocaine. While the story has taken on mythical status, what’s certain is that Ozzy's drug intake would have killed anyone else. Heroin, cocaine, acid, prescription pills — you name it. He once said, “I should have been dead 100 times.”
The Plane Crash That Killed His Guitarist
In 1982, a joyride in a small plane turned fatal when the pilot, high on cocaine, crashed into Ozzy’s tour bus, killing guitarist Randy Rhoads. Ozzy was just steps away. He woke up screaming after the explosion. It shook him to the core, but even then, death spared him.
The Near-Strangling of Sharon Osbourne
During a blackout in 1989, Ozzy tried to strangle his wife Sharon. She managed to call the police, and Ozzy was arrested and sent to rehab. He later said he had no memory of the event. Sharon forgave him, and they stayed together — somehow. But that night could have ended two lives.
The Bat Incident
We all know the story: in 1982, Ozzy bit the head off a bat thrown onstage, thinking it was a toy. It wasn’t. He was rushed to the hospital for rabies shots. The bat survived only a few seconds — Ozzy, miraculously, survived the disease.
The 2003 ATV Accident
One of Ozzy’s most brutal brushes with death happened long after the wild years. In 2003, he crashed an ATV on his Buckinghamshire estate, breaking eight ribs, a collarbone, and vertebrae in his neck. He was placed in a medically induced coma. Doctors weren’t sure he’d make it. But he came back — again.
Diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease
In 2019, Ozzy revealed he had been diagnosed with a form of Parkinson’s. Combined with past injuries and infections, the disease forced him to cancel tours and stop performing. But even as his body began shutting down, his mind stayed sharp — and his dark sense of humor intact.
Genetic Testing Revealed: Ozzy Is a "Mutant"
In 2010, scientists at Knome Inc. ran a full genome sequencing on Ozzy. The conclusion? He had several rare genetic mutations that helped him survive decades of substance abuse. Even science couldn’t explain how he lived so long — but they tried.
Pneumonia, Infections, and More
In recent years, Ozzy battled pneumonia, staph infections, and multiple surgeries. He called 2019 the “worst year of my life.” But every time fans feared the end, he pulled through.
“Back to the Beginning”: The Final Show in Birmingham
Though he was scheduled to headline Power Trip in 2023, his true last show was far more meaningful: "Back to the Beginning" — a surprise performance in Birmingham, the city where it all started.
Ozzy reunited with Tony Iommi for one final, emotional performance of “Paranoid”. It was stripped-down, raw, and real. There were no flames, no bats, just two old friends — and a crowd that knew they were witnessing history. That night wasn’t just a concert. It was a funeral in slow motion. It was the last Ozzy Death Experience — and it belonged to all of us.
The End of an Era
When Ozzy Osbourne died, it felt impossible. After all the overdoses, accidents, and madness — how could death finally win? But maybe it didn’t.
Because the it really about death. It was about living on the edge of it, staring it down, laughing in its face, and then stepping back into the light — mic in hand.
Conclusion: Death Lost, and Ozzy Lives Forever
Ozzy Osbourne didn’t just live — he survived louder. Every Ozzy Death Experience became a part of his legacy. He turned personal ruin into art, and pain into performance.
Now he’s gone. But somewhere, in the space between distortion and silence, the Prince of Darkness still screams. And we scream back.
Rest in Peace, Ozzy. You already lived forever.
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