Ozzy Osbourne's funeral updates as Black Sabbath fans line streets of Birmingham

Irish Daily Mirror

3 days ago

Ozzy Osbourne will be laid to rest today as fans of the heavy metal icon have lined the streets of Birmingham to say their final farewell.
Ozzy, who passed away last week at the age of 76, will make his final journey through his hometown today as he is given a hero's send-off.
The Prince of Darkness' funeral cortege will pass Black Sabbath bridge and bench, where floral tributes and messages of condolence have been left by fans of the beloved music star.
It's understood that the hearse will be followed by wife Sharon in a heartfelt procession, with a brass band accompanying the cortege.
The procession is expected to take place from 1pm, with Broad Street closed to traffic from 7am. Ozzy's family are covering the costs, with the council helping with the road closure.
Ozzy tragically passed away last week, just weeks after his final performance in Birmingham. The former reality TV star had been "desperate to come home" in recent years following his Parkinson's diagnosis
Follow along below as the Irish Mirror brings you updates...
12:32 Rose Hill
Five blacked-out mini vans have arrived at Aston Villa and were greeted by staff.
While it's unclear whether they could be football related, a Paramount crew are also on scene filming a documentary on Ozzy Osbourne.
Soon afterwards, six cops on motorbikes arrived followed by a police car on the grounds.
12:17 Rose Hill
Crowds have already packed out one of the side of the road, with stewards telling fans turning up that it is already full.
Ozzy's funeral procession is due to start at 1pm, with thousands of fans already lining the streets to pay tribute. Thousands line the streets of Birmingham for Ozzy's funeral procession
12:08 Rose Hill
Flowers, balloons, drinks and a variety of gifts and messages are piled high on Black Sabbath Bridge bench ahead of Ozzy Osbourne's funeral procession today.
Thousands of fans have lined the streets, waiting to pay their respects to the rock legend as the cortege and Ozzy's family are set to make their way through Birmingham. Floral tributes left at the Black Sabbath Bridge bench on Broad Street in Birmingham in memory of Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne (Image: PA)
11:59 Rose Hill
American Eric Berry, 54, from Sacramento, California, who had just been to the final concert at Villa Park a few weeks ago jetted back in today to pay his respects at Ozzy's house before racing down to London to watch Oasis tonight.
He said: 'I am here to pay my respect to Ozzy. He has been a big part of my life.
'I am just a big fan and he means a lot to me.
'I felt like the final concert was his way of saying goodbye so I did expect it.
'I think he is bigger in the imagination than real life, he is definitely larger than life.
'I think we've lost a big part of rock 'n' roll, I think the Back to the Beginning did bring some awareness back to rock 'n' roll and how important it is but definitely it is a big loss.'
11:58 Rose Hill
Crowds have packed out the streets of Birmingham, with a sign announcing: "Ozzy forever - Birmingham will always love you."
Heavy metal lover Keith Bryant, from south London, 49 said: 'I am here to show my respects to one of the greats we have lost but everything comes Back to the Beginning, to Birmingham and Ozzy Osbourne I mean it all started here.
'I remember when I was ten and I was watching Live Aid with my step-dad and I used to like bands like Wham! and I remember watching it on the telly living in Welwyn and there was all these bands, you know the 80s bands and then suddenly Ozzy Osbourne comes on from America with purple cape and walks on with those wild eyes and my step dad says 'who this guy this is disgusting?' and then he just started playing Paranoid and my life changed and my outlook on music with the flick of a finger.
'Everything from then has just been about Heavy Metal for me.
'I just feel like we have lost just such an important part of Heavy Metal, it all started back at Black Sabbath, it all started here in Birmingham.
'It is pivotal to heavy rock and metal. It is seminal.
'We have lost a great, it is a really sad period and a sign of the times losing another great rock star like that.
'That respect for those rock stars is so important.' The city of Birmingham pays its final respects to Ozzy Osbourne (Image: Humphrey Nemar)
11:47 Rose Hill
Superfan Austin, 48, who lives just down the road from Ozzy's childhood home in the shadow of Villa Park, was emotional as he paid tribute to Ozzy's life.
He said: 'Musically he is indescribable, he was so emotional with his music.
'He is somebody who shows you that you can be more than what you are.
'You can be bigger than what you are, better than what you are, crazier than what anybody else can be.
'The Prince of Darkness doesnn't get the name just by being a nobody.
'As his song says he doesn't want to die an ordinary man, he didn't.
'He is not an ordinary man at all, he is bigger than everything.
'I came here to pay my respects to the man.
'It will be so emotional today, it won't be raining from the clouds, it will be a rain of tears.' Black Sabbath icon Ozzy Osbourne died earlier this month (Image: Getty Images)
11:44 Rose Hill
Owner Mohabbat Al-Zaman's family have lived in the house for 53 years since buying it from the Osbournes in 1973.
He told The Mirror how Ozzy was a regular visitor to the house over the decades since and would often come in for a coffee and chat to reminisce about old times.
He said: 'My parents lived next door for a few years and knew the child was into music because they would hear music coming out of the house all the time.
'We were not aware he was going to become the legend he is at the time.
'It was not until 1995 when the BBC contacted us to do a documentary about Ozzy Osbourne and we thought 'wow' and from that point on we started getting messages and people started coming here as tourists and putting up plaques.
'Since Ozzy's passing we have had to put an e-mail address up so people could share their messages and we will forward them onto the family when the time is right.
'There are a lot of flowers and messages that have turned up along with letters from places like Germany and America.
'We are trying to capture the final messages for Ozzy Osbourne.
'We get a lot of tourists knocking on, only in the last year we have had people from China and Russia.
'People have left a lot of beautiful messages and poems, some of them you read them and think he has actually changed a lot of people's lives through his songs and all his charitable work.
'So it has been a journey for us throughout our lives meeting his fans.
'When he is in the area he would phone us and say 'can I come to the house?' and when he would come he would just sit and look around and remember his old days and have a cup of coffee.
'He was funny, he was good company, he was a true Brummie. He always remembered us from being kids.' Mohabbat Al-Zaman, the owner of Ozzy Osbourne's former home in Aston (Image: Rowan Griffiths / Daily Mirror)
11:34 KEY EVENT
Lulu pleaded with Sharon Osbourne to get in touch with her during a live appearance on Lorraine just hours ahead of Ozzy Osbourne's funeral.
When Shout! hitmaker Lulu, also 76, arrived on the ITV's morning chat show, she begged for either the rock star's widow or her assistant Melinda Varga to contact her.
Standing alongside stand-in host Christine Lampard, she said: "I wanna say, Sharon, I know you won't be watching but if anyone is watching, Melinda, can you call me? I know they're busy but I want to get hold of you guys because I really, really want to be there to support Sharon."
Just days before his death, Ozzy had appeared alongside his Black Sabbath bandmates to perform in what became his final concert at Villa Park in Birmingham, and Lulu, who began her own music career in the 1960s, added: "Unbelievable, you couldn't make it up. You couldn't plan that exit." The former Absolutely Fabulous star also noted that the 'last interesting' celebrity death to her was that of magician Tommy Cooper, who famously suffered a fatal heart attack whilst performing on live television in 1984.
She said: "This was a long, long time ago, was Tommy Cooper, he was on [stage], chatting away, he's funny as hell and everyone's laughing. Then he pulls the curtain, says goodbye and he just drops. That's how I wanna go! I'm making this light, but, it's...it's so sad."
11:33 Rose Hill
Among those waiting in the crowd to pay his respects to Ozzy Osbourne is Paul Jones, 57.
The fan flashed the Ozzy tattoo on his chest as he stood with the hundreds lining the streets of Birmingham.
The Black Sabbath singer's body will be brought back for a procession that will travel along Broad Street in the city centre from 1pm today. The hearse will make its way to the Black Sabbath Bridge and bench where thousands of fans have left messages and floral tributes. Paul Jones (57) and John Layland (39) pay their respects to Ozzy (Image: Anita Maric / SWNS)
11:19 Rose Hill
A superstar was spotted in the crowd of Ozzy fans as he paid his respects ahead of the Black Sabbath legend's funeral procession in Birmingham.
Bruce the dog, who today changed his name to Doggy Osbourne, waited patiently donned in Ozzy's trademark shades, a little hat and outfit. Bruce the dog, who has changed his name today to 'Doggy Osbourne', waits to pay his respects (Image: Getty Images)
11:07 Rose Hill
X Factor star Ray Quinn has opened up about the sweet advice he received from the Black Sabbath legend.
Singer Ray, 36, was invited to dinner at Ozzy and Sharon's Beverley Hills mansion when Ozzy gifted him advice on the music industry.
Ray had appeared on the 2006 series of the ITV show and came runner-up to Leona Lewis. Soon after the competition, he jetted off to the US to record his debut album.
Sharon had been a judge on The X Factor at the time with Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh and had been a "big part" of Ray's life "even after the show".
"When I flew out to LA to record my album, she reached out and invited me to her house for dinner," he told Smooth Spins. "I went to their Beverly Hills home that was featured on their reality show The Osbournes, so that was pretty surreal.
"Ozzy was there too, and he was such an amazing guy. My heart goes out to the whole family after his passing.
"I remember we sat down and had lamb to eat and lots of cups of tea. There were about 20 dogs running around, and Sharon even let me walk one around the neighbourhood.
"The whole family was amazing, and Ozzy was so kind. He asked me about my music and told me to keep going and enjoy every minute. It was like sitting with one of my mates' dads." Ray Quinn appeared on The X Factor in 2006
10:51 KEY EVENT
Hundreds of fans are already gathering to pay their final respects to Ozzy Osbourne at Black Sabbath bridge in Birmingham.
The cortege, along with the Osbourne family, is expected to stop at the Black Sabbath bench, where thousands of tributes, balloons and flowers have been left since the heavy metal icon died last week.
The Osbourne family is expected to look at the sea of tributes when the cortege reaches Broad Street at around 1pm.
Crowds of people, many wearing Ozzy Osbourne T-shirts and holding posters and other tributes, are already waiting behind metal barriers all along Broad Street.
Black Sabbath music is playing loudly and there are chants of 'Ozzy Ozzy Ozzy' from the crowds.
Security personnel are taking bunches of flowers from those in the crowd to add to those already laying in front of the bench. Hundreds line the streets near Black Sabbath Bridge bench on Broad Street in Birmingham (Image: Nick Wilkinson/Birmingham Live)
10:48 Rose Hill
Ozzy's family have told fans to "set their alarms" ahead of his funeral procession today.
His official Instagram page, which now has a profile photo of a single black candle, has informed fans about the livestream, which will begin at 1pm. It can be watched at blacksabbathbench.co.uk.
Heartbroken fans took to comment, with one writing: "It's my 63 birthday today its a day never to forget... RIP Ozzy."
While another commented: "Thankyou for doing this. Sending love to all the family." Ozzy's family have posted on Instagram
10:03 Lucy Needham
Ahead of the funeral procession heading down Birmingham's Broad Street, fans have begun lining up to say their goodbyes.
The road was shut to cars from 7am this morning as preparations got underway. (Image: PA)
09:59 Lucy Needham
Floral tributes are piling up at the Black Sabbath Bridge bench on Broad Street in Birmingham in memory of Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne.
The city's mayor reffered to the singer as a 'son of Birmingham' ahead of this funeral today with thousands of fans expected to pay their respects. Floral tributes left at the Black Sabbath Bridge bench (Image: PA)
09:57 Lucy Needham
Comedian Samantha Marlow-Kent, told the Mirror she had been waiting on Broad Street since 6:45am.
The West Heath music fan, 35, did not want to miss the chance to say goodbye to Ozzy. Samantha Marlow-Kent arrived at Broad Street early to take her place (Image: BPM Media)
09:53 Lucy Needham
Ozzy Osbourne will return home to Birmingham for the last time this afternoon, when a cortege procession will travel along Broad Street.
In moving scenes, Ozzy's hearse will travel down Broad Street at 1pm today, July 30, accompanied by a live brass band, ahead of a private funeral.
09:30 Lucy Needham
Ozzy's cortege will be led by Birmingham band Bostin' Brass.
They played at an event at New Street Station when Ozzy the mechanical bull, created for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, was unveiled by Sharon Osbourne
Band leader Aaron Diaz says he is feeling a mixture of nerves and honour ahead of the occassion. "It's certainly high pressure. You do feel a weight of responsibility."
"In the last couple of days it's been amazing the sentiment the city feels towards Ozzy, the pride - he's one of Birmingham's own," said the trumpet player. "We're really going to enjoy playing a fitting tribute to him and being part of the crowd of thousands that's going to turn out on the day."
09:08 Lucy Needham
Ozzy Osbourne will be given a fitting send off for a heavy metal icon in his beloved city of Birmingham today.
After decades in the music industry, the funeral is set to be attended with some of Ozzy's long-term friends and collaborators.
Elton John is among those expected to be in attendance for the Prince of Darkness's farewell, along with Ozzy's Black Sabbath bandmates including Tony Iommi, Bill Ward and Geezer Butler.
James Hetfield from Metallica has also been invited along with singer Yungblud, who has formed a close relationship with the star in the last few years.
The mourners will be led by Ozzy's wife Sharon and Ozzy's children Jack, Kelly, Aimee and Louis. Elton John is expected to attend Ozzy's funeral today (Image: Getty Images.)
08:51 Mia O'Hare
Ozzy's procession is expected to head down Broad Street in Birmingham city centre at 1pm today. Fans have already headed down to the street, while those unable to get to Birmingham are able to tune in through a live stream at blacksabbathbench.co.uk
08:30 KEY EVENT
Fans have already headed down to Broad Street as they prepare to say goodbye to Ozzy. The street was closed off for traffic at 7am, and now fans have started to queue along the pavement ready for the procession to arrive at 1pm. Many have taken along camping chairs and are wearing Ozzy and Black Sabbath merchandise. Fans have arrived early to get their spot (Image: PA)
08:18 Mia O'Hare
Ozzy fans have been paying their respects in his hometown of Birmingham since news of his death broke last Tuesday. They have left hundreds of flowers, letters, posters, balloons and merchanise at Black Sabbath Bridge in the city.
Today, Ozzy will make one final journey along Broad Street and Black Sabbath Bridge in front of the growing number of tributes. Fans have been leaving tributes at Black Sabbath Bridge (Image: PA)
07:53 Mia O'Hare
The verified Instagram account for Ozzy has continued to post about him since the sad news of his death, including in a tribute uploaded earlier this week.
It shared a photo that showed a logo of Ozzy's name above a black candle with a flame on top. The caption simply included an emoji depicting a candle.
Accompanying the photo was the song Holy For Tonight, which was co-written by Ozzy and featured on his second most recent album, titled Ordinary Man from 2020.
Fans continued to share their own tributes under the post as one wrote: "We will miss you forever." Another said: "Can't believe it's almost been a week." Whilst someone else commented: "It still hasn't sunk in." Sharing their thoughts, another fan commented: "Still doesn't seem real."
07:36 KEY EVENT
Ozzy's beloved wife Sharon has made an incredible gesture to the city of Birmingham ahead of his funeral.
The Black Sabbath rocker got to return to his hometown of Birmingham one more time for his gig at Villa Park and lived his final days there with his family. Today, a special procession will be held down Broad Street to the Black Sabbath bridge and bench.
It has been revealed that Sharon has funded all the security and costs for the procession. The Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor Zafar Iqbal MBE, JP, said: "Ozzy was more than a music legend - he was a son of Birmingham.
"Having recently been awarded the Freedom of the City and following his celebrated appearance at the Back to the Beginning concert at Villa Park earlier this month, it was important to the city that we support a fitting, dignified tribute ahead of a private family funeral. We know how much this moment will mean to his fans."
He added: "We're proud to host it here with his loving family in the place where it all began, and we are grateful that they have generously offered to pay to enable this to happen and support the city in giving him the farewell he deserves." Ozzy's wife Sharon has paid for the procession in Birmingham (Image: Getty Images)
07:21 Mia O'Hare
While fans will have their chance to say goodbye to Ozzy today, his family will hold a separate private service tomorrow.
He will be laid to rest in the grounds of the Osbourne's family home in Buckinghamshire. His wife Sharon and children Jack, Kelly, Aimee and Louis are expected to follow the procession in Birmingham today.
'Tomorrow they will have a closed service at a church in Gerrards Cross, Bucks," a source told the Sun. Singer Yungblud is expected to give a reading while Ozzy's bandmates Tony Iommi, Bill Ward and Geezer Butler are set to attend.
'Elton John is also hoping to join the family at the church," they added.
06:28 KEY EVENT
For those unable to attend the procession in Birmingham in person, it has been confirmed that the live feed of Black Sabbath bridge and bench will remain live for the whole of the event.
The cortege will pass the bridge and so fans wanting to see some of the procession from home may be able to catch a glimpse of it through this livestream. The floral tributes cover the bridge and bench. Fans have been leaving tributes on Black Sabbath bridge (Image: Melissa Bennett)
06:27 Mia O'Hare
Along with the procession, there are many other ways fans in Birmingham will be able to pay their respects to Ozzy. At Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, a book of condolence has been opened for Ozzy.
It sits alongside the Ozzy Osbourne Working Class Hero exhibition, which wife Sharon Osbourne opened last month.
There is also a Black Sabbath Mural on Navigation Street, Ozzy the Bull at New Street Station and The Station pub, which is where Black Sabbath first played all the way back in 1968.
06:26 KEY EVENT
Ozzy's procession will travel down Broad Street to Black Sabbath bridge. The procession will begin at 1pm and his family will follow the cortege, with fans watching on.
Stewards will be present to help those who have gathered to remember the music icon. Those wishing to attend have been asked to use public transport to attend the event, which is expected to attract large crowds. Map of the Ozzy Osbourne funeral procession in his home town of Birmingham (Image: Getty / Google Maps )
06:25 Mia O'Hare
Birmingham's busy Broad Street will be closed from 7am today to allow preparations to be put in place for the procession. The procession will then begin at 1pm and the road will be opened once the cortege passes through.