Ozzy Osbourne famously sparked a major backlash when he urinated on a highly respected Texas war memorial at the height of his fame.
The Black Sabbath star caused offence during a visit to San Antonio in 1982 when he urinated on The Alamo Cenotaph, also known as The Spirit of Sacrifice.
The memorial, which was erected in 1940, commemorates those who lost their lives in the 1836 Battle of the Alamo during the Texas Revolution.
Though Ozzy didn’t relieve himself on the actual Alamo building – the site of the battle, he urinated on the 60-foot cenotaph across the road, leaving locals raging.
He was arrested for public urination and intoxication, leading to him being banned from San Antonio for 10 years, before he made a public apology.
Following his death aged 76, The Alamo took to social media to pay tribute to Ozzy in an unlikely statement as they reflected on the incident which sparked such outrage.
Ozzy Osbourne famously sparked a major backlash when he urinated on a highly respected Texas war memorial at the height of his fame
In a post shared to the memorial’s official Instagram, The Alamo acknowledged Ozzy’s ‘humility’ in making up for his ‘deeply disrespectful’ mistake as they proved all was forgiven.
‘We at the Alamo are saddened to hear of the passing of legendary musician Ozzy Osbourne,’ they wrote.
‘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.’
The Black Sabbath star caused offence during a visit to San Antonio in 1982 when he urinated on The Alamo Cenotaph (pictured), also known as The Spirit of Sacrifice
Following his death aged 76, The Alamo took to social media to pay tribute to Ozzy in an unlikely statement as they reflected on the incident which sparked such outrage
Ozzy was banned from performing in San Antonio for more than 10 years after urinating on The Alamo in a scandal that came at the height of his fame.
The rocker was arrested for his actions but was released just hours later on a $40 bond before taking to the stage to a sold–out crowd at HemisFair Arena that night.
In 1992, Ozzy finally made a public apology for urinating on the highly-respected memorial as he made amends for his actions.
He also gifted $10,000 to the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, which maintain the Alamo grounds, before finally returning to San Antonio to perform once again.
Years later in 2015, Ozzy was allowed to return to the Alamo memorial itself to film his joint travel show with his son Jack, titled Ozzy & Jack’s World Detour.
During the History channel show, Ozzy shared his concerns about going back there, even more than 30 years after the scandal, because of the offence he caused.
When Jack asked him what could happen, Ozzy said: ‘Get shot, killed, beaten up!’
However, Jack argued that they would be doing Texas a disservice by not visiting the monument and Ozzy agreed to return to the site.
Ozzy was banned from performing in San Antonio for 10 years after urinating on The Alamo, but finally returned to the landmark in 2015 with his son Jack (both pictured) to make amends
They learnt more about the memorial’s historical significance upon their visit and Ozzy was able to make up for his previous mistake at the landmark.
The Alamo have joined the outpouring of love for Ozzy after his family confirmed he died on Tuesday morning aged 76.
‘It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning,’ they shared.
‘He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time. Sharon, Jack, Kelly, Aimee and Louis.’
He is survived by his wife Sharon and his six children. He shares three kids – Aimee, 41, Kelly, 41, and Jack, 40, with Sharon.
Ozzy also welcomed two children – Jessica and Louis – from his first marriage to Thelma Riley, while he also adopted her son Elliot from her previous relationship.
The musician had undergone seven surgeries in the past five years, including a fourth spinal operation in 2023, and had been battling Parkinson’s disease since 2003.
Ozzy took to the stage for his farewell concert at Villa Park Stadium in his native Birmingham less than three weeks before his death.
The Alamo have joined the outpouring of love for Ozzy after his family confirmed he died on Tuesday morning aged 76, just weeks after his final performance (pictured)
The rocker reunited with his original Black Sabbath bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward for the first time since 2005 to bid an emotional farewell to his decades of performing live on stage.
After selling out in minutes, over 42,000 fans packed into Villa Park for the aptly-titled Back to the Beginning show, which saw Ozzy and Black Sabbath return to their hometown – 56 years after they formed there.
The final photograph of him before his death was taken on stage as he sat on a black throne aptly decorated with a bat to perform his best-known hits for his loyal fans.
His final words on stage were: ‘It’s the last song ever. Your support has enabled us to live an amazing lifestyle, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.’
A message on screen then read: ‘Thank you for everything, you guys are f***ing amazing. Birmingham Forever,’ before the sky lit up with fireworks.
Before his final show, Ozzy said he hoped to continue recording music after retiring from live performing, but he heartbreakingly died before he was able to do so.
He told Metal Hammer magazine: ‘I still enjoy doing my own work, I also enjoy singing on other people’s work.
He is survived by his wife Sharon and his six children. He shares three kids – Aimee (not pictured), 41, Kelly, 41, and Jack, 40, with Sharon (pictured in 2015)
‘For the foreseeable future, I will keep on recording if the projects interest me, it’s very important.’
Ozzy’s last solo album, 2022’s Patient Number 9, featured a long list of guest artists, including hid Black Sabbath bandmate Tony Iommi, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Zakk Wylde, and Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready, among others.
Black Sabbath pioneered heavy metal music in the early 1970s with hits such as War Pigs, Paranoid and Iron Man.
The band’s impact on music was enormous and they brought a heavy metal genre that had been in its infancy when they began to the attention of millions of fans.