In a meeting of rock and roll generations, Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker has been revealed as one of the ten buyers of a highly unusual piece of memorabilia: a can of Liquid Death Iced Tea that was consumed by and contains the DNA of Ozzy Osbourne. Barker recently showed off his $450 acquisition on his Instagram, confirming his participation in one of the most bizarre marketing campaigns in recent memory.
The “Infinite Ozzy” promotion, a collaboration between the Prince of Darkness and the edgy beverage brand, offered fans a strange and unforgettable way to own a piece of rock history. The campaign involved Osbourne drinking from ten cans of iced tea, which were then immediately sealed to preserve his saliva and, therefore, his DNA. Each can was encased in a lab-quality container and hand-signed by Ozzy himself.
The tongue-in-cheek concept behind the sold-out collectibles was the promise that an owner could one day use the preserved DNA to create a clone of the legendary frontman. The campaign was perfectly summarized by Ozzy‘s own iconic, tongue-in-cheek quote: “Clone me, you bastards.”
The cans are reportedly sold out, according to liquiddeath.com/ozzy website.
The timing of the promotion is fitting, as it coincides with Osbourne’s highly anticipated final live performance on July 5. The monumental farewell concert, dubbed “Back To The Beginning,” will see him reunite on stage with the original Black Sabbath lineup—Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward—for the first time in two decades. The historic, sold-out event in Birmingham, England, will also feature performances from a who’s-who of metal royalty, including Metallica, Slayer, and Pantera.
While the world prepares to say goodbye to Ozzy Osbourne‘s legendary stage career, Travis Barker and nine other collectors now possess a strange, unforgettable, and potentially regenerative piece of the rock god’s enduring legacy.
