Ozzy Osbourne Wasn’t Welcome in San Antonio for Years After Pissing on Alamo

Ozzy Osbourne is an iconic rock star, a singer and songwriter who is one of the original members of the rock band Black Sabbath. In the ’70s, Osbourne went through a very public spiral due to drugs and alcohol, and although he was able to recover and establish a strong solo career, Osbourne’s problems with substance abuse have been well-documented in the years since.

These days, Osbourne continues to perform for his millions of devoted fans around the world — and although he has toned down his act significantly, many of his diehard fans still remember his outrageous antics, including the notorious incident in San Antonio that led to his arrest. 

How did Ozzy Osbourne become famous?

Ozzy Osbourne was born in England in 1948. Raised in a working-class family, according to Biography.com, Osbourne had dreams of musical stardom when he was a young boy.

Inspired by the Beatles, Osbourne longed for a creative outlet. He left school when he was 15 years old and worked a variety of manual labor jobs, including as a construction worker, a plumber, and an apprentice toolmaker.

Still, Osbourne never lost his dreams of a brighter future, and in the late ’60s, he joined the band that would become known as Black Sabbath. Known for their hard-partying ways and penchant for dark, heavy stage shows, Black Sabbath rose to fame almost immediately — with Osbourne at the forefront of the group as the lead vocalist.

All throughout the ’70s, Black Sabbath toured and played shows, earning critical acclaim even as they caused controversy. Most of that controversy was traced back to Osbourne, who by that time was reliant on drugs and alcohol. 

Being famous for outrageous behavior

In 1979, Ozzy Osbourne was fired from Black Sabbath. The band had finally had enough of his outrageous antics, but even though Ozzy Osbourne was eventually able to clean up his act and embark on a red-hot solo career, his behavior didn’t cease. As a solo performer, Osbourne became bigger than ever, and his rock-star ways continued to make headlines.

In 1982, Osbourne married Sharon Arden, who was his manager at the time. The two went on to welcome three children, and have become the most enduring couple in popular music — in spite of the odds.

Osbourne has suffered some serious health issues in recent years, including going public with a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis. Osbourne has admitted that he believes many of his health problems are related to his many years of drug and alcohol abuse — and on at least one occasion, his substance abuse caught up with him. 

Why was Ozzy Osbourne arrested in San Antonio?

In 1982, when Ozzy Osbourne was at the peak of his solo career success, he was preparing to play a highly-publicized show in San Antonio, Texas. However, his visit to the city was sidelined when he decided to leave his hotel room, wearing Sharon Osbourne’s dress, and made a stop by the 60-foot-high cenotaph on the opposite side of the street from the famed Alamo fort.

The cenotaph was erected in honor of those who had died defending the Alamo, but rather than pay his respects to the victims, Osbourne reportedly urinated on the monument according to Loud Wire. Although he was drunk at the time, authorities did not find it funny, and the musician was arrested promptly.

Osbourne didn’t spend long in jail — he was sprung that same afternoon on a $40 bond and played his scheduled show that evening. In spite of that, Osbourne was banned from visiting San Antonio for 10 years. In 1992, Osbourne made a public apology to the city. San Antonio officials forgave the wayward singer, and he has since returned to the historic city on several occasions.