Legendary rocker and reality TV star Ozzy Osbourne died this week at the age of 76.
Osbourne was the frontman of pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath until 1979. By 1982, he was out on his own and touring in support of his second solo album, Diary of a Madman. That tour brought Osbourne to El Paso, but not before he bit the head off a dove in Los Angeles and a bat in Des Moines, Iowa.
Just days before his El Paso concert, Osbourne was in trouble in Texas as well. He was arrested for public intoxication and was banned from performing in San Antonio after urinating on the Alamo Cenotaph, a monument honoring the Alamo defenders.
Osbourne later apologized for his actions. The Alamo Facebook page posted this after his death:
“We at the Alamo are saddened to hear of the passing of legendary musician Ozzy Osbourne. His relationship with the Alamo was marked initially by a deeply disrespectful incident in 1982. This act profoundly and rightfully upset many who hold this site sacred.
“However, redemption and reconciliation eventually became part of his history as well. In 1992, Ozzy personally apologized to then-Mayor Nelson Wolff and expressed genuine remorse for his actions. Decades later, in 2015, he revisited the Alamo grounds to learn and appreciate the site’s profound history, openly demonstrating humility and understanding.
“At the Alamo, we honor history in all its complexities. Today, we acknowledge Ozzy Osbourne’s journey from regret to reconciliation at the historic site, and we extend our condolences to his family, friends, and fans around the world. May he rest in peace.”
El Paso Coliseum wary of Osborne’s nasty habits
Before his Feb. 23, 1982, concert at the El Paso Coliseum, Pam Smelter, coliseum manager, told the Times, “He’s already been told not to pull anything” in El Paso.
The coliseum management threatened a lawsuit if Osbourne tried any of his too-bizarre antics.
The article continued:
“Friday we got hit by a bunch of calls from little ol’ ladies” who have heard about his stage show, Ms. Smelter said.
But she thinks most of the stories — including rumors about eating dogs on stage — are just hype to help sell Osbourne’s show, she said.
In case it’s not all talk, the El Paso Sheriff’s Department assigned 60 deputies, instead of the usual 40, to the concert.
Ozzy: Legend preceded monster rocker but no one lost his head over it
The Feb. 24, 1982 edition of the Times carried this review of the Diary of a Madman tour stop in El Paso by staff writer Jim Brooks:
“Ozzy Osbourne will be here Tuesday,” my editor said casually. “Could you cover his concert?”
Sounded simple enough.
“Sure. Is there anything I should know about him?”
“Well, he’s a hard-rock singer.”
“Uh-huh.”
“And he’s got sort of a reputation.”
“Yeah”
“Well, they tell me he bit the head off a dove.”
“What?”
“After that, he took a chunk out of a bat at one of his live concerts. Probably won’t try that again. Appears he had to take rabies shots afterward.”
“Does this assignment include combat pay?”
“Are your life insurance premiums paid up?”
Compassionate editor.
Tuesday afternoon:
Late Tuesday afternoon, only about 500 of the 8,050 tickets remained unsold. Teenagers were flocking in. “The younger ones are the ones coming in,” Ms. Smelter said. “Some of them look 10, 12.”
Tuesday night:
A sell-out crowd — and nobody looked frightened at the prospect of rabies.
Given the pungent aroma that wafted through the cavernous coliseum and the gallons of beer being consumed, probably nobody was worried about anything.
T-shirted teenagers — some sporting Ozzy’s current T-shirt with a dagger bloodily gutting the American landscape — squeezed int the arena to see the monster rocker stomp.
Before that though, they had to sit through an hourlong set by heavy metal band UFO.
The band probably played some OK melodies, but with the heavy amplification, you’d never know it.
(The coliseum’s Stone Age acoustics — a whole other story — didn’t help either.)
On a few numbers, especially the popular “Too Hot to Handle” and “Lights Out,” UFO ignited the already inflamed fans.
Fans primed for Ozzy, guitarist Randy Rhoads
They were primed for Ozzy.
Known more for his theatrics than his music, the former member of Black Sabbath opened his set by jumping from a puff of smoke bearing a huge, silver cross. The stage set included Gothic arches soaring to the coliseum ceiling.
Heavy, Ozzy, heavy.
He’s not as campy as Alice Coper nor as commercially accessible as Kiss, but his fans are just as devoted.
Ozzy brought them to their feet more than once.
His average voice belted out, with some success, such tunes as “Flying High Again” (a cut off his current album, “Diary of a Mad Man”).
He also gave acclaimed guitarist Randy Rhoads a chance to wow the spectators with his fancy fingerwork.
My favorite song of the evening: Ozzy’s atypical, almost ballad-like “Goodbye to Romance.”
Curiously, the number featured a mock hanging.
Ozzy just can’t play it straight.
Trish Long may be reached at tlong@elpasotimes.com.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Ozzy Osbourne remembered for 1982 El Paso, Texas concert, Alamo apology
Reporting by Trish Long, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
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