It’s not very often that you can be spoken about in such high regard after you’ve urinated on the thing giving the praise (usually you gotta pay extra for that), but Ozzy Osbourne was a special kind of delinquent in the early 80s and more than 40 years will usually right most wrongs.
As we all continue to mourn and remember the passing of the great Ozzy Osbourne, one of the stories that keeps coming to mind is the fact that he was once arrested in Texas for urinating on the Alamo Cenotaph, a 60-foot monument honoring those who died in the 1836 Battle of the Alamo. You see, Ozzy had been drinking — extensively — and needed to relieve himself before a performance at the HemisFair Arena in San Antonio, Texas, in 1982.
Though it would have been so much worse if he actually pissed on the building itself, the cenotaph is considered an equally sacred marking in that part of Texas. After all, even though the Battle of the Alamo was a loss for the Americans during the Texas Revolution, it stands for the tenacity and will of its combatants to fight to the last man. Ozzy’s public urination on such a figure led to him being arrested and charged with public intoxication, linking him forever with the location.
Over the years, Ozzy would try to mend things with the city and the historical site. Ten years later in 1992, he personally offered an apology to then-San Antonio Mayor Nelson Wolff. While filming an episode of Ozzy & Jack’s World Detour for the History Channel, the father and son pair headed to the Alamo grounds, where they both learned about the mission’s cultural and historical impact on the region.
Now in light of Ozzy’s death, the Alamo’s official Facebook page posted a tribute to Ozzy. In it, they remembered the man who tried to fix the bridges he broke back in the early 80s, offering to reflect on the scandal that caused an uproar and the contrition Ozzy showed in the years that followed.
“We at the Alamo are saddened to hear of the passing of legendary musician Ozzy Osbourne. 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 1992, Ozzy personally apologized to then-Mayor Nelson Wolff and expressed genuine remorse for his actions. Decades later, in 2015, he revisited the Alamo grounds to learn and appreciate the site’s profound history, openly demonstrating humility and understanding.
“At the Alamo, we honor history in all its complexities. 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.”