Ozzy Osbourne’s DNA sold in empty iced tea cans for US$450

Empty iced tea cans said to contain the DNA of Ozzy Osbourne are shown in an image from company Liquid Death.

Empty cans containing the DNA of an aging rockstar were so popular, despite their US$450 price tag, they appear to be sold out.

Ten cans containing genetic material from Ozzy Osbourne were sold as part of a promotion by American canned water company Liquid Death.

“Ozzy Osbourne is 1 of 1,” the company wrote in an online advertisement. “But we’re selling his actual DNA so you can recycle him forever.”

A cheeky ad said Osbourne drank from the cans of low-calorie iced tea, leaving behind trace DNA from his saliva. His signature was used for a sticker placed on a clear container holding each can, which reads “Official DNA sample,” along with a number and date of collection.

It appears the unusual product was popular with fans of the 73-year-old frontman for heavy metal band Black Sabbath. For those less familiar with his music, Osbourne is also known for his appearances on reality TV shows featuring his family members, and for biting the head off a live bat on stage.

On Wednesday morning, Liquid Death’s website showed the product was listed for US$450 (about C$615) but is sold out.

Liquid Death offered potential uses for the DNA in the ad.

“Now, once technology and federal law permit, you can replicate Ozzy and enjoy him for hundreds of years into the future,” the ad voiceover says over photos of smiling seniors and children.

“Just imagine if you could bring back early ‘80s Ozzy.”

The company suggests, for example, performing at kids’ birthday parties, showing an actor dressed as Osbourne putting the head of a plastic bat in his mouth as children scream.

The ad then assures viewers that “this is not a joke.”

Nicknamed the “Prince of Darkness” in the 1970s, John Michael Osbourne was ranked by Rolling Stone as among the “200 Greatest Singers of All Time.”

Earlier this month, Black Sabbath announced Osbourne’s final gig as the band’s lead singer will be streamed worldwide on July 5, after the show sold out in about 15 minutes.

Osbourne announced in 2020 that he has Parkinson’s, which led to a pause in touring with the band that has sold more than 75 million albums.

The singer has made headlines since he announced he was leaving the U.S. due to gun violence and when a spinal injury led to the cancellation of his 2023 tour dates.

With files from AFP, CNN and The Associated Press