Did Late Black Sabbath Vocalist Ozzy Osbourne Bite the Head off a Dove?

The unfortunate passing of Ozzy Osbourne shocked the world in the summer of 2025. After a complicated battle with Parkinson's disease, the Black Sabbath vocalist died on July 22. Ozzy left behind a unique legacy in the entertainment industry thanks to his music and the unforgettable production value of his live performances. Thirteen solo albums and a few live records were produced by the artist, who always gave his fans something to look forward to over the years.

Ozzy Osbourne was constantly involved in unpredictable controversies during his trajectory as an artist. One of these cases consisted of a bizarre rumor, which stated that the singer had bitten the head off a dove. The incident was said to take place after the vocalist had already been kicked off the band. Did Ozzy really bite the head off a dove? Here's what we know about one of the most interesting rumors from the singer's career.

Yes, Ozzy Osbourne really bit the head off a dove. According to Mojo, there's an elaborate context behind the singer's actions. The setting was a CBS sales conference, which took place around the time when Ozzy's first solo album was released. The Black Sabbath vocalist was supposed to deliver a speech before setting free a couple of doves. The animals were unfortunately dead by the time they were placed in Ozzy's hands.

Ozzy was known for showing up to work under the influence. That was the main reason why Black Sabbath kicked him out of the group in 1979 in the first place. The singer's state of mind while working drove him to the conclusion that biting off the dove's head made sense. When he spoke to biographer Mick Wall about the accident, Ozzy said that he had been annoyed by a PR woman, with the rockstar biting the dove's head in frustration.

Another crazy stunt involving biting animals that took place in Ozzy Osbourne's career was the time when the Black Sabbath vocalist ate a bat. This instance wasn't that similar to what happened with the aforementioned dove. According to the BBC, Ozzy used to throw pieces of raw meat and animal parts towards the audience during his Diary of a Madman Tour.

Fans quickly realized what Ozzy's strategy was during his shows, which is why they were quick to retaliate. The faithful Sabbath fans who attended the concerts began to throw things back at the singer. One of these objects looked like a rubber toy, which is why Ozzy decided to eat a piece of it without hesitating. It turns out that the "rubber toy" was actually a dead bat.

The Prince of Darkness was clearly in a mood when the dove incident took place. And when it comes to the time he ate a bat, the singer didn't even know the animal was real in the first place. Ozzy was a rockstar and, shockingly, that sometimes involved eating the head of dead animals. According to the BBC, the vocalist had to get a rabies shot after the bat incident.