Ozzy Osbourne Plush Bat With Removable Head Commemorates 37th Anniversary of Bat-Biting Incident

January 20, 1982 is a day that lives in rock and roll infamy. It's the day that Ozzy Osbourne [...]

By Nicole Drum

January 20, 1982 is a day that lives in rock and roll infamy. It's the day that Ozzy Osbourne notoriously bit the head off of a bat during a concert and now, music's Prince of Darkness is commemorating the incident with a surprisingly adorable plush bat toy.

Osbourne took to social media on Sunday to share details on the commemorative plush which just so happens to have a removable head. Check it out below.

"Today marks the 37th Anniversary since I bit a head of a f*cking bat!" Osbourne wrote. "Celebrate with this commemorative plush with detachable head."

That's right. The 12 inch tall plush bat toy, which features the Ozzy Osbourne log across the chest, has a detachable head. It's secured by Velcro so there's no biting required. The bat, which retails for $40, has already sold out of its first run -- there's a note on Osbourne's web store noting that they are now pre-selling for a new batch, due in March.

It's an interesting way to commemorate a truly insane moment in music history. The incident happened at a concert in Des Moines, Iowa after a fan threw the live bat at Osbourne's feet. Why would a fan do that, you may ask? During the tour, Osbourne had developed something of a reputation for throwing animal parts at audiences, so the audience responded in kind. As for the bat thrown at his feet, Osbourne thought it was a rubber toy but quickly realized otherwise, outlining the horrific realization that he'd bitten the head off of a real bat in his memoir, I Am Ozzy. As one might guess, he needed to be treated for rabies after the incident.

While that now-infamous bat didn't cheat death, Osbourne certainly has. Last fall, the musician revealed that he had undergone multiple surgeries on his hand and had to cancel several shows. He told Rolling Stone it was due to serious staph infections.

"I didn't feel sick, so I was cracking jokes," Osbourne said. "The doctor said, 'I don't know if you realize, Mr. Osbourne, this is a very serious problem you have.' Sharon said, 'Would you stop fucking making jokes?' So I said, 'Well, it's my hand.' They're all extremely, deadly serious about it."

Dealing with the staph infections were apparently very painful to deal with.

"They cut all this stuff out," he said. "Even with the numbing stuff, it was agony. It wasn't pus, but it was the stage after pus, when it gets in the blood and goes in your body and fucking kills you."

What do you think about Osbourne's commemorative bat plush? Let us know in the comments below.

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