In a testament to the widespread adoration Ozzy Osbourne earned over the course of his singular life, a tribute to the late metal legend has come in from officials at the Alamo. Yes, that Alamo. The one in San Antonio dedicated to the soldiers killed in the 1836 Texas Revolution. The one Osbourne drunkenly took a piss on during a visit in 1982.
“We at the Alamo are saddened to hear of the passing of legendary musician Ozzy Osbourne,” read a tribute posted on the official Alamo Cenotaph Instagram account. “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 a career filled with notorious incidents, Osbourne urinating on the Alamo may somehow be the most notorious. After desecrating the site, Osbourne was arrested for public intoxication and urination, but was bailed out for $40 and made it to his concert that night on time.
Osbourne was later pardoned after donating $10,000 to the group that maintains and manages the Alamo. And as the official Alamo statement noted, he “personally apologized” to then-San Antonio Mayor Nelson Wolff and “expressed genuine remorse for his actions.”
Still, as part of his punishment, Osbourne was forced to accept a 10-year ban that prevented him from performing in San Antonio again until 1992. That year, he played two shows in the city (per Setlist.fm), and also returned in 1996 and 2011.
Then, in 2015, after 33 years, Osbourne was finally welcomed back to the Alamo as he and his son, Jack, recorded a segment for their History Channel docuseries, Ozzy & Jack’s World Detour.
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(While the visit was set to be low-key and private, word inevitably leaked, and a massive crowd was there to greet the Osbournes. “I warned the producers,” Osbourne told Rolling Stone at the time. “I said, ‘You go to the Alamo, everything’s going to happen.’ And it’s a fucking riot when we get there.”)
“At the Alamo, we honor history in all its complexities,” the Alamo’s statement read. “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.”