Jack Osbourne has shared startling new details about one of rock and roll's most infamous moments: the time his father, heavy metal legend Ozzy Osbourne, bit the head off a dove during a record label meeting.
The Wild Years: A Three-Year Rollercoaster
While speaking with campmates on I'm A Celebrity, Jack Osbourne contextualised the bizarre event within a particularly chaotic period of his father's life. He revealed that within just three years, Ozzy was fired from Black Sabbath, launched his solo career, released two albums, and experienced immense tragedy and notoriety.
"In like a three year period, he got fired, did his own solo thing – he released two albums, bit the head off a dove, bit the head off a bat, urinated on the Alamo and sadly Randy Rhoads the guitar player died in a plane crash all in three years," Jack explained. Despite the turmoil, this period also saw Ozzy achieve massive commercial success with two top-ten albums.
The Infamous Dove Incident: A Desperate Marketing Stunt?
Delving into the specifics of the dove incident, Jack shed light on the frustrating circumstances that led to the shocking act. The record label, CBS, was reportedly unwilling to put any marketing budget behind Ozzy's album. "They didn't give a toss," Jack stated bluntly.
In an attempt to change their minds, Ozzy's wife and manager Sharon arranged a meet-and-greet with the marketing executives. The plan was for Ozzy to release doves from his jacket as a symbolic gesture of peace. However, the situation quickly spiralled out of control.
"So he sits on the lap of this exec from CBS records," Jack recounted. "A dove landed on her knee, he seized the bird, bit its head off and spat it at her." The meeting instantly descended into pandemonium.
The Aftermath: Shock Value and Success
Despite the grotesque nature of the act, or perhaps because of it, the incident had an immediate and powerful effect on Ozzy's career. Jack revealed that news of the event spread like wildfire, and by the time Ozzy had returned to his hotel, his album had charted. The desperate shock tactic had, in a macabre way, worked.
Ozzy himself later reminisced about his motivation, stating, "I just remember this PR woman going on and on at me. I pulled out one of these doves and bit its bloody head off. Just to shut her up." He admitted to repeating the act, which led to CBS ejecting him from the building and telling him he would never work for them again.
During the same campfire conversation, Jack also shared a remarkable piece of family history, revealing that his grandfather, music executive Don Arden, had turned down the opportunity to manage The Beatles because he primarily focused on managing Black artists, having been instrumental in bringing American stars like Little Richard to England.
