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When it comes to excessive rock’n’roll lifestyle, a name is almost always at the forefront: Ozzy Osbourne. The singer of Black Sabbath has made headlines not only with his music, but also with his escapades. But a story particularly stands out. Has Ozzy Osbourne really sniffed ants because he thought it was cocaine?
This wild anecdote has been an integral part of rock legends for years. And regularly ensures amazement, laughs and bewilderness. But what is really behind it? Is the story true or just an exaggerated myth?
The notorious scene: Ozzy, Mötley Crüe and a bunch of ants
The origins of the story go back to the 1980s when Ozzy Osbourne was on tour with the band Mötley Crüe. As is well known, one of the most dangerous combinations in the history of rock. Both parties were notorious for uninhibited drug use, alcohol orgies and total loss of control.
According to several reports – including Ozzy’s own biography “I am Ozzy” and the autobiographies of members of Mötley Crüe – the legendary scene occurred at the pool of a hotel in Florida. Ozzy, completely advanced, is said to have suddenly laid on the floor, have discovered an ants road – and in a state of complete veneering, the small insects flipped up. Eyewitnesses report that he pulled a “line” out of ants. As if it were cocaine.
Has Ozzy Osbourne really thought the ants really kokaine?
This is where the discussion begins. Did Ozzy confuse the ants – really believed, he sniff a drug – or was it just a deliberately shocking action? The latter is more likely. Because even Ozzy in its most violent state may have recognized the difference between white powder lines and a moving ant road.
In interviews later years, Ozzy never directly contested the scene. But mostly commented with a smile. In his biography it only says that he “did things that even the madness cannot explain”. That speaks for itself.
Ozzy Osbourne – the epitome of excess and loss of control
Whether it was drugs, alcohol, animal bites or public escalations. Ozzy Osbourne has crossed pretty much every border. The notorious bat on stage was later declared a misunderstanding, but the ants remains just as legendary. Ozzy embodies the dark side of fame like no other musician. Uncontrollable, destructive, but also fascinating.
It is a little miracle that he can remember these stories at all – and tells them today. The “Prince of Darkness” not only shaped an era, but also survived, which would have destroyed many others.
An absurd but designated rock’n’roll anecdote
It cannot be said with the last certainty whether Ozzy Osbourne has confused with cocaine. But one thing is certain: the story is a symbol of the excessive lifestyle of a man who went through hell for decades – and came back to laugh about it. The anecdote has long been legend.