MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Wednesday marks 40 years since Rock N’ Roll legend Ozzy Osbourne sported a St. Louis Blues jersey in a mug shot, a pure coincidence that lives on as a quirky, but beloved part of Blues hockey history.

On May 15, 1984, Osbourne was booked into the Shelby County Justice Complex in Memphis, Tennessee.

Police reports indicated that Osbourne was arrested just after midnight while he was “staggering drunk” on Memphis’ Beale Street. He was charged with one misdemeanor count of public intoxication. After five hours in custody, Osbourne was released from jail and informed that he would not need to return for a court appearance.

So how exactly did the Blues jersey in his mug shot come to be?

Osbourne packed 132 performances over parts of three years during his “Bark at the Moon” tour. This included two stops each in St. Louis and Memphis, albeit at different points of the year.

Osbourne performed at the St. Louis Arena (former home of the Blues) on Feb. 10, 1984 and at the Kiel Opera House on May 3, 1984. It’s believed he bought the Blues jersey in St. Louis during one of his visits that year, though documentation confirming when and how he got it was scarce.

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Osbourne had one scheduled day off between two Tennessee shows (Knoxville and Memphis) on May 14, 1984. That turned into a night of drinking, ultimately leading to Osbourne’s arrest around 12:30 a.m. on the next calendar day, presumably in the Blues shirt.

Known for his eccentric personality, Osbourne’s arrest came well after he bit the head off of a bat and urinated on the Alamo Cenotaph. Many years later, he admitted to alcoholism and drug abuse during the peak of his career, though he remains hopeful for a healthier future.

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His mug shot gained local popularity five years ago during the St. Louis Blues’ Stanley Cup run, during which he shared “Let’s go @StLouisBlues!” on X (previously Twitter).

Depending on where you look, you may be able to find T-shirts, sweatshirts, mugs and photo prints of Osbourne’s mug shots available for purchase online.

Osbourne, now 75 years old, is a Rock N’ Roll Hall of Famer and the former frontman of Black Sabbath. He’s produced 13 studio albums over his career, touring parts of four decades from 1980 to 2019.

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