Crime History - Teens kills himself to Ozzy Osbourne song
By: Freeman Klopott
Examiner Staff Writer
October 26, 2009
On this day, Oct. 26, in 1984, a California teen shot and killed himself while listening to an Ozzy Osbourne song about suicide, causing his parents to sue the heavy metal singer because they believed his music had driven their son to end his life.
John McCollum had been listening to Osbourne's song "Suicide Solution" when he shot himself while in his bed in Indio, Calif.
In the lawsuit, the 19-year-old's parents claimed there were hidden lyrics that urged listeners to "get the gun and try it, shoot, shoot." In a response, Osbourne said there were no hidden lyrics and it was actually a song meant to steer listeners away from suicide.
A California court dismissed the lawsuit in 1988, ruling that McCollum's suicide was not a clear result of Osbourne's music.
- Freeman Klopott
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