Ozzy Osbourne Worked at an Abattoir before Becoming a Heavy Metal Star

Long before he became an international rock star, and the frontman for the heavy metal band "Black Sabbath" Ozzy Osbourne had an ordinary job.

Today Ozzy Osbourne is a heavy metal icon, a reality star, and a legend in his own lifetime, but back in 1964 he was 16 years old, and in dire need of a job. He ended up working in a slaughterhouse in Birmingham.

This ended up being an apprenticeship of sorts for the man who would one day become famous for biting the heads off bats on stage, chomping on live doves, and snorting lines of ants.

FIRST JOB

The young Ozzie suffered from dyslexia and ended up leaving school at the age of 15, and took up a series of random jobs in construction, a plumber's trainee apprentice, and in a car factory.

When he was 16, he applied for a job in a Birmingham slaughterhouse and found something he enjoyed doing, not because of the actual work, but because of the hours.

Years later, Ozzie would become famous for chomping on bat's heads on stage, but he is in fact, an animal lover

According to Ozzie, the workers would be attributed a certain number of animals to process and once they were finished, they were free to go home. Ozzie said:

"Depending on how many cattle you had to kill, sometimes you’d be back home three or four hours later. So you had the rest of the day off. That was better than working nine to five in an office."

Ozzie even became an expert, with a special knack for removing cow's stomachs for overnight soaking, and detaching hooves. One thing Ozzie admits he enjoyed from his abattoir days was sneaking cow's eyes out so he could pop them in girl's drinks at the local bar for laughs.

Years later, Ozzie would become famous for chomping on bat's heads on stage, but he is in fact, an animal lover. Ozzie and Sharon share 17 dogs and two cats, Mo-Mo and Puss.

Even though he is not a vegetarian, Ozzie believes that all meat-eaters should visit a slaughterhouse and be aware of how animals are treated there. He stated:

"I’m still prepared to kill an animal for food if I have to. But I don’t do that any more. I love animals. I’ve got 17 [expletive] expletive dogs now."

This is a far cry from the man who once killed a dove his wife and manager Sharon Osbourne had taken to a business meeting to celebrate the signing of a lucrative contract that launched his solo career.

The wildest man of heavy metal is now 71 years old, and he's definitely mellowed. He's has been married to Sharon for 38 years, he's the father of six grown-up children, and a doting grandfather. And he's definitely not snacking on bats, or stealing cow eyes...