Ozzy Osbourne's 'brushes with death' including knife-wielding Satanist and witches coven

Daily Record

3 days ago

Ozzy Osbourne, who has sadly died, aged 76, experienced a number of close shaves over the years, including a catastrophic quad bike accident and an on-stage encounter with a knife-wielding Satanist
Ozzy Osbourne had a number of "brushes with death" during his decades-long career, including an encounter with a knife-wielding Satanist and a "witches' coven". Yesterday (Tuesday, July 22), it was announced that the heavy metal icon had sadly died, aged 76, just weeks after performing a farewell concert with his Black Sabbath bandmates.
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In a statement announcing his passing, his family wrote: "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. He was with his family and surrounded by love."
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The 'War Pigs' rocker suffered from a number of health issues over the years and had been battling Parkinson's disease since 2019, a condition that ultimately led to him being unable to stand or walk without assistance.
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Ozzy, whose hell-raising antics included biting the head off a bat, also had a well-documented fight with alcoholism and drug addiction and experienced several close shaves with death over his long career.
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Indeed, some of these incidents were astonishing, including an encounter with a Satanist in 1971, who jumped onto the stage during a Black Sabbath gig and wielded a "sacrificial knife", writes the Telegraph.
It wouldn't be the end of the bizarre ordeal, however, as a "local witches' coven" later surrounded the band's hotel. Luckily, the group's drummer, Bill Ward, managed to "scare them off" with what was described as a "fake hex."
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Yet, Ozzy's "brushes with death" weren't all linked to the occult. In 1982, Sabbath's private jet had been "buzzing" the tour bus in Florida, US, when it collided into a house, killing the iconic guitarist, Randy Rhoads, Rachel Youngblood, and the pilot, Andrew Aycock.
In a more recent incident in 2003, Ozzy suffered catastrophic injuries in a quad bike accident on his Buckinghamshire estate, with the singer requiring resuscitation and breaking his neck vertebrae, eight ribs, and collarbone.
In addition, his "industrial-scale intake of drink and drugs" ultimately took its toll and had what the publication described as the "greatest effect" on his well-being.
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Speaking about his addictions, Ozzy confessed: "I am something of a madman. I can do nothing in moderation. If it's booze, I drink the place dry. If it's drugs, I take everything and then scrape the carpet for little crumbs."
In 2024, reports emerged that Ozzy had been substance-free for much of the previous 10 years, but he revealed that year he wasn't "completely sober", admitting on his talk show, The Madhouse Chronicles, that he used a "bit of marijuana from time to time."
Ozzy, who performed sat down on a throne in front of 42,000 fans less than three weeks ago, received an outpouring of tributes from the worlds of rock and metal following the tragic announcement that he'd passed away.
Some of the names included Ronnie Wood from the Rolling Stones, Ali Campbell from UB40, Sir Elton John, Robert Plant from Led Zeppelin, Metallica, Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi, and Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong.
Speaking at his farewell gig, Ozzy said: "You've no idea how I feel - thank you from the bottom of my heart."