OZZY OSBOURNE On BLACK SABBATH's Early Days; Giving Up Drugs And Alcohol

Scott Simon, host of NPR's "Weekend Edition", recently conducted an interview with legendary heavy metal singer Ozzy Osbourne. The chat is now available for streaming using the audio player below.

On the incidents with the dove and the bat.:

"I'm so over the dove, the bat. It's just one of those things people will remember me by. Yes, I did bite the head off of a dove. Yes, I did bite the head off of a bat. It's a stupid thing to do, but I did it."

On how THE BEATLES changed his life:

"When I heard THE BEATLES, I said, 'That's it. That's what I want to be. I want to be a Beatle.' I bought the Beatle suit, the Beatle wig, the Beatle photographs — anything with THE BEATLES. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life to meet Paul McCartney. It was phenomenal."

On BLACK SABBATH's early days:

"How we started was we decided to write scary songs. We used to rehearse across the road from a movie theater. And it was Tony Iommi who said, 'Isn't it weird that people pay money to see scary films? Why don't we start writing scary songs?' "

On his wife/manager Sharon:

"I love my wife. We've had a few slings and arrows across the room, but I'm not prepared to give in, you know? People say she saved my life, but at the same time, I saved her life, as well, I think. She's a great mother, she's a great wife, she's a great worker, she's a great manager. She's just great."

On how a health scare made him give up drugs and alcohol:

"I was the one who gave up the drugs and alcohol. Drugs and alcohol were ruling my life. I made a lot of bad decisions while I was drinking alcohol. The first thing I stopped was cigarettes and tobacco. I've been in rehabs with hardcore heroin addicts who say, 'I've kicked the heroin, but I can't let go of the tobacco.' I haven't smoked a cigarette in a long time. I like being clean now."