Ozzy Osbourne bit the head off a bat during a concert at Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines, Iowa, on January 20, 1982. He later said he thought it was a rubber toy. Whether the bat was alive or dead remains disputed: the fan who threw it said it was dead, while accounts of the incident differ.
What happened at the Des Moines concert?
The incident took place during Osbourne’s Diary of a Madman tour. A 17-year-old audience member threw a bat onto the stage, and Osbourne bit its head off. In a recollection from his memoir I Am Ozzy, quoted by Axios Des Moines, Osbourne wrote: “Immediately, though, something felt wrong. Very wrong.”
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
LIVE & LOUD | $10.70 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Ozzy Osbourne - Live at Budokan | $18.21 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Ozzy Osbourne's Ozzfest 10th Anniversary | $11.07 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Memoirs of a Madman | $9.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
God Bless Ozzy Osbourne | $40.00 | Buy on Amazon |
Osbourne later told David Letterman that it “was an accident” and said he had thought the bat was a rubber toy, according to HISTORY. That explanation describes what Osbourne said he believed; it does not establish the animal’s condition.
Was the bat alive?
The accounts do not settle that question. Axios reports that the fan who threw the bat said it was dead. HISTORY notes that accounts vary. It is therefore more accurate to say that the bat’s condition is disputed than to describe it as definitively alive or dead.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
#1 Best Overall
What happened after the show?
HISTORY reports that Osbourne went to a hospital after the performance and received the first of a series of rabies shots. A January 21, 1982 UPI archive search-result record also mentions treatment for possible rabies, but the archive page itself was not accessible, so it offers only limited corroboration.
Why is “40 years ago” no longer current?
The phrase referred to the 40th anniversary in January 2022. The concert happened on January 20, 1982, making it 44 years ago as of October 2026. A 2025 Associated Press obituary describes the episode as occurring during a 1981 concert, but that conflicts with the specific date reported by HISTORY and the Des Moines anniversary coverage from Axios; January 20, 1982 is the date those accounts identify for the incident.
Rank #2
- Factory sealed DVD
How did the incident affect the venue?
HISTORY reports that the episode kept drawing public attention and that the venue decided to prohibit performers from using live animals without management consent. The event became a lasting part of Osbourne’s public story, but that attention does not resolve the disputed detail of whether the bat was alive.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Rank #4
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
