Monday, July 9, 2018

Was Ozzy Osbourne Arrested For Peeing on the Alamo?

   This is one of the top questions asked of the curators of the Alamo: Was Rock Star Ozzy Osbourne arrested for peeing on the Alamo?  Like any story, there are some facts that are mixed with myth and hype to create a wonderful tale.

   The facts:  On February 19, 1982, prior to a concert in San Antonio, Ozzy Osbourne stopped to urinate on his way back to his hotel room after some extensive partying. Unfortunately, for Ozzy, he stopped to pee in Alamo Plaza on the Cenotaph. The Cenotaph is a monument erected in 1939 to honor those who died in the Battle of the Alamo.

Where Ozzy Osbourne Actually Peed. The Alamo Cenotaph

    Not that urinating on a War Memorial is much better than the Alamo itself.  It just makes for a different headline. Even his son Jack admits as much in this podcast interview on the subject

   The Rock Star was arrested for Public Intoxication and released on a $40 bond in time to play his show. However, he was banned from ever performing in San Antonio again. The incident unleashed the incorrect story that Ozzy had been arrested for peeing on the actually Alamo, the shrine of Texas Liberty.

   Over the years, the legend has grown despite the fact that 10 years after the event, Ozzy made a $10,000 donation to the caretakers of the Alamo (the Daughter of the Texas Republic) and made an official apology.  The ban was lifted after the apology and he was allowed to play two show at the Freeman Coliseum


   In 2015,  Ozzy revisited the Alamo for a show on the History Channel and apologized once again for his transgression.