ST. LOUIS — You've probably seen the photo before. But do you know the story?
There are a lot of famous St. Louis Blues photos from their 50-plus-year history in our town. But one, in particular, has developed a status as local "folk legend" over the years.
Of course, I'm talking about the picture of rock icon Ozzy Osbourne wearing a Blues shirt in a mugshot.
Thirty-eight years ago on May 15, Osbourne accidentally became a Blues legend.
And to get the inside scoop on Ozzy Osbourne in St. Louis, the only place to go is KSHE 95.
“He’s quite the character and if you’ve seen his reality shows you’ve seen how lovable he is. Anybody who’s ever toured with him in his bands just loves Ozzy. It is because he’s an icon, but he’s just a likeable, funny guy," KSHE morning host John Ulett said.
Now, what about that picture?
It's 1984. Osbourne is in the middle of his "Bark at the Moon" tour. On May 3, he played in St. Louis. He actually played in St. Louis twice on this particular tour at both the old arena and the Kiel Opera House.
At some point during his time in our town, Osbourne acquires a Blues jersey.
Twelve days later, Osbourne is continuing his tour in Memphis, Tennessee. And a night on the town went off the rails.
“Eighties Ozzy was when he was fueled by alcohol and drugs, and just about everything you’ve read or seen and heard of is true," KSHE midday host Favazz said.
Osbourne was arrested by Shelby County Police for Public Drunkenness after being found staggering on Beale Street at 12:30 a.m. while wearing the Blues jersey. He was eventually released after sobering up.
And with one snap of a camera, Ozzy was a Blues legend.
The Osbourne Blues mugshot is on T-shirts, it's on coffee mugs, it's a popular profile picture on social media for people during Blues playoff runs and it even is on the walls and mantle of various restaurants and bars in town. Hi-Pointe Drive-In has a huge blown up version of the mug shot taking up an entire wall inside.
Even the blues have embraced Osbourne's relationship with the Blues, with the "prince of darkness" tweeting out a picture of him in a new Blues jersey during the 2019 Stanley Cup run.
Although Osbourne's hockey acumen is believed to be nonexistent....
“Zero, zilch, doesn’t care. He just had the shirt on, that’s all," Favazz said of Ozzy's hockey knowledge.
The rock legend's wild night in Memphis left a mark here in St. Louis that people still love to talk about.
“In St. Louis we love to be connected to something internationally known and famous. Any time our city or sports teams are connected with somebody of that caliber of popularity and notoriety, it’s just a cool thing," Ulett said. "And he just has this cool image about him and he always is going to have that. I think St. Louisans have a lot of respect for Ozzy, and his music, and him as person and just as a character.”
“It’s been around for a long, long time and the fact that it’s a mugshot is even funnier," Favazz said. "I think the Blues a few years ago may have been a little hesitant to put their arms around it but now they do. And it’s one of the greatest shots of all time.”