On this day in 1982 Ozzy Osbourne managed to offend the entire state of Texas. On the 19th of February 1982, Ozzy was arrested by the San Antonio police department when he was caught urinating on a cenotaph dedicated to the defenders of the Alamo. His wife, Sharon, had reportedly hidden his clothes to try and dissuade him from leaving the hotel room, which is why he was wearing her green dress.
So after being caught urinating on the Alamo whilst wearing his wife’s green dress, he was told he couldn’t perform in San Antonio ever again – a ban that lasted until 1992. During an interview, Ozzy said, “I needed a pee and saw this old wall”. Watch Ozzy’s interview about the Alamo incident below.
Pulling off a cover version of an Ozzy Osbourne classic ain’t easy. But when the Prince Of Darkness himself gives you a standing ovation? Yeah, you’ve probably nailed it!
In 2014, the MTV EMA’s played host to an all-star line-up of rock veterans as they paid tribute to the great frontman – performing his 1980 hit ‘Crazy Train’. The song was his first major breakthrough after getting fired from Black Sabbath – and to this day, its instantly recognisable guitar riff is frequently cited as one of heavy metal’s finest. With Ozzy sitting in the front row alongside his wife Sharon – the supergroup took to the stage.
And who made up this supergroup, you ask? How about the legendary Guns N’ Roses axeman Slash, his long-time collaborator Myles Kennedy, their shared backing band The Conspirators and Biffy Clyro’s Simon Neil.
What followed was a perfect rendition of Crazy Train – with Kennedy and Neil sharing lead vocals, and Slash doing his best Randy Rhoads impression on his trademark Les Paul.
The performance was filled with passion and energy – as these guys did their best to return the favour and give Ozzy himself a show worth remembering.
It came complete with tons of wild visuals and pyrotechnics – but the fieriest moment of all came when Slash ripped through the iconic solo before the song’s outro.
And yes, he absolutely killed it.
If you didn’t know any better, just based on his facial expressions, it would seem like Ozzy was pretty underwhelmed by the whole thing. However, as soon as the song had finished, he jumped to his feet for a drawn-out standing ovation – making it clear that they had passed the ultimate test.
How about that for a seal of approval!!
Slash later took to his official Twitter page to once again give props to Osbourne for being the legend that he is – calling him both a global icon and a good friend.
It was a blast honoring @OzzyOsbourne at the #EMAs last night. The man is definitely a Global Icon. & a good friend. iiii]; )'
— Slash (@Slash) November 10, 2014
On a night at the EMA’s that was filled with mainly contemporary pop, RnB, and hip-hop – seeing this 34-year-old anthem getting dusted off for such a powerful performance was certainly a real treat!