Ozzy Osbourne fans in Birmingham honor heavy metal star – DW – 07/30/2025
Thousands of people gathered in the UK city of Birmingham on Wednesday to honor the "Prince of Darkness" and Black Sabbath frontman.
The hearse carrying Ozzy Osbourne made its way through the crowd-lined streets of the city where he grew up and where Black Sabbath was formed in 1968.
Osbourne died at the age of 76 on July 22, just weeks after a final gig to a sold-out crowd. He had been in poor health, having been diagnosed with Parkinson's a few years earlier.
Osbourne once said he wanted his funeral to be a celebration and not a "mope-fest." Today was a mix of sadness and celebration, as crowds chanted "Ozzy, Ozzy, Ozzy, oi, oi, oi."
A 16-year-old fan, Fan Reece Sargeant the the AFP news agency, "I think it was important to come and pay our respects.... Ozzy and Black Sabbath really put Birmingham on the map."
Long-time fan Antony Hunt said it has been an "emotional" day."
"What's amazing is there's so many, such a wide variety of age groups, from little, little children, teenagers to people in their 60s, 70s, so it's great to see that," he said.
Birmingham Mayor Zafar Iqbal praised Osbourne as a "son of Birmingham" and "more than a music legend."
Graham Croucher, a 58-year-old train driver, said Osbourne was an "absolute legend" and "was the soundtrack particularly to my life growing up."
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Osbourne's hearse, topped with flower arrangements, made its way through the city's streets. Led by a live brass band, the procession went past his childhood home in the city's Aston area, down Broad Street and to the Black Sabbath bench. The art installation was unveiled in 2019 and sits on a bridge also named after the band.
Osbourne's wife, Sharon, and children, Kelly, Jack, Louis, and Aimee, followed in vehicles behind. The family was visibly emotional as they got out on the bridge to lay flowers and read some of the tributes left by fans.
The procession led by police motorcycles then continued its journey to a private funeral service.
Black Sabbath is widely credited for popularizing the sound of heavy metal, and Osbourne was known for his legendary antics both on and off stage.
Black Sabbath had huge commercial success in the 1970s and 80s, going on to sell more than 75 million albums worldwide.
In June, Ozzy and his Back Sabbath bandmates Terence Butler, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward were awarded the Freedom of the City in recognition of their services to the city of Birmingham.
They played their final farewell show in early July to 42,000 fans in Birmingham, with the Prince of Darkness on a black throne.
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