Latest news with #Black Sabbath
Arab News
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Arab News
Thousands to pay respects as Ozzy Osbourne laid to rest in UK hometown
BIRMINGHAM: Thousands are expected to line the streets of Ozzy Osbourne's UK hometown of Birmingham on Wednesday to honor the heavy metal hell-raiser as he is laid to rest. Osbourne, nicknamed the 'Prince of Darkness' and who once bit a bat while on stage while performing with his Black Sabbath band, died on July 22 at the age of 76. The heavy metal star, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2019, passed away just over a fortnight after playing a final gig before a sold-out crowd in Birmingham. Birmingham city council said Osbourne's funeral cortege would pass slowly through the city from 1:00 p.m. (1200 GMT) down Broad Street to Black Sabbath bridge, along a route planned with the rocker's family. The hearse and vehicles will be accompanied by a live brass band performance by local musicians from Bostin' Brass. Osbourne will then be laid to rest at a private funeral service. 'Ozzy was more than a music legend — he was a son of Birmingham,' Zafar Iqbal, the lord mayor of the central English city, said in a statement. '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. We're proud to host it here with his loving family in the place where it all began,' Iqbal added. Thousands of fans have left heartfelt messages and floral tributes at the bridge in recent days, mourning the death of the musician who was instrumental in pioneering heavy metal, an offshoot of hard rock. Black Sabbath enjoyed huge commercial success in the 1970s and 80s after forming in Birmingham in 1968. Their eponymous 1970 debut album made the UK top 10 and paved the way for a string of hit records, including their most famous song 'Paranoid.' The group went on to sell more than 75 million albums worldwide and were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. Osbourne was added for a second time last year as a solo artist. Osbourne gained notoriety for his outlandish stunts, many of them fueled by his lavish use of drugs and alcohol. In 1989, he was arrested for drunkenly trying to strangle his wife Sharon, which he once mentioned in a 2007 interview. His live performances at the height of his hedonism have gone down in rock folklore, particularly the 1982 gig in the US city of Des Moines when he bit a bat on stage. Osbourne said he thought a fan had thrown a fake rubber bat onstage, and it was not until he took a bite that he realized it was real.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Farewell to the Prince of Darkness: Thousands of fans line the streets of Birmingham ahead of Ozzy Osbourne's funeral procession
Ozzy Osbourne 's rock howl helped make him a heavy metal icon before his genial TV antics turned him into a reality TV star. Now celebrities, fans and loving locals have thronged the streets of his home city to pay tribute ahead of his funeral procession following his death at the age of 76. The so-called 'Prince of Darkness' has been memorialised in Birmingham since last Tuesday's announcement by his family including wife Sharon. The much-visited 'Black Sabbath Bridge' in England's second city has been covered in floral tributes and was this morning closed off so his relatives could pay a visit. A funeral parade along Birmingham's Broad Street is planned for 1pm onwards. Yet crowds have been gathering from early on, well in advance, to show their respects for the singer whose songs included Paranoid and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. Thousands of people have been pictured taking their places not only on Black Sabbath Bridge but along the city centre-long route that his cortege will travel. The hearse carrying Osbourne will make its way down Broad Street - starting at the city's busy Five Ways roundabout - to the Black Sabbath bench from about 1pm. His family members are expected to watch the cortege, which will be accompanied by a live brass band called Bostin' Brass - the first word being a Black Country term. Fans have left heartfelt messages and floral tributes around the Black Sabbath mural on Navigation Street in recent days to honour the heavy metal star who was born in the Aston area of Birmingham. Members of the public have also signed a book of condolences, opened by Birmingham Museum And Art Gallery, which is currently holding an exhibition titled Ozzy Osbourne (1948-2025): Working Class Hero. While organising the procession, Birmingham City Council collaborated with the Osbourne family, who funded all of the associated costs. The Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Zafar Iqbal, 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. 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 is giving him the farewell he deserves.' Broad Street has been closed to through traffic from 7am today, with buses and trams diverted before the road packed with bars reopens when the event finishes. Osbourne and his Black Sabbath bandmates - Terence 'Geezer' Butler, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward - were recently given the freedom of the city of Birmingham, which recognises people's exceptional service to the city. They are expected to attend, while other reported celebrity guests include Sir Elton John. The group, which formed in 1968, are widely credited with defining and popularising the sound of heavy metal. Osbourne, who also had a successful solo career, found a new legion of fans when he appeared in the noughties reality TV series The Osbournes, starring alongside his wife Sharon and two youngest children, Kelly and Jack. The music star, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2019, performed his last gig on July 5 in a concert that also saw performances from the likes of Anthrax, Metallica and Guns N' Roses.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ozzy Osbourne funeral plans revealed including final trip through Birmingham
Ozzy Osbourne fans will be given a chance to pay their respects to the heavy metal legend, as his funeral cortège travels through his home city of Birmingham. The Black Sabbath frontman died aged 76 on 22 July, just weeks after he played a triumphant farewell show at Villa Park with his fellow founding members plus a number of other metal and rock acts including Metallica, Guns N' Roses and Tom Morello. On Wednesday (30 July), Osbourne's body will be brought back to the city for a procession that will travel along Broad Street from 1pm. The event, which takes place ahead of a private funeral, will also give his family the opportunity to see the flowers, tributes and other memories his fans have left around the city. After travelling down Broad Street, the procession will pause at the Black Sabbath bench and bridge. The cortège will be accompanied by a live brass band performance by musicians from Bostin' Brass. Several road closures will be in place around Birmingham, including Broad Street, which will be closed to traffic from 7am while buses and trams will be diverted. Birmingham council said it had worked 'at pace' to coordinate the event with Osbourne's family, who have funded any associated costs. The city's mayor, councillor Zafar Iqbal, said in a statement: '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.' He continued: 'We know how much this moment will mean to his fans. 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 is giving him the farewell he deserves.' Osbourne left behind a legacy as one of the greatest rock frontman of all time, a pioneer whose band is largely credited with creating heavy metal through early albums such as their self-titled 1970 debut, and second album Paranoid. The self-proclaimed 'Prince of Darkness' suffered a series of health issues in his later years, mostly related to neck injuries sustained in a 2003 quad-biking accident, which were later exacerbated by a fall in 2019. He revealed that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease that same year. For fans unable to visit Birmingham to see Osbourne's procession, a livestream of the Black Sabbath bench will be available to watch. Fans wishing to pay their respects will also be able to visit Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, where a book of condolence is open, as well as the Ozzy Osbourne Working Class Hero exhibition that his wife and manager, Sharon Osbourne, opened in June. Announcing his death last week, his family said: 'It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. 'He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.'
The Independent
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Plans for Ozzy Osbourne's funeral confirmed
Fans of heavy metal legend Ozzy Osbourne will have the opportunity to pay their respects during a public funeral cortège in his home city of Birmingham. The procession for the Black Sabbath frontman, who died aged 76 on 22 July, will take place on Wednesday, 30 July, travelling along Broad Street from 1pm. The cortège will pause at the Black Sabbath bench and bridge, accompanied by a live brass band, before a private family funeral. Birmingham City Council coordinated the event with Osbourne's family, who are funding the associated costs, with road closures and diversions in place. For those unable to attend, a livestream of the Black Sabbath bench will be available, and a book of condolence and an exhibition are open in Birmingham.
New York Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Ozzy Osbourne Funeral Procession to Be Held in His Hometown on Wednesday, City Says
When Ozzy Osbourne was an advice columnist for the Sunday Times of London, he detailed what he wanted his funeral to be like. The heavy metal singer and reality TV star wrote in 2011 that he hoped the eventual ceremony would be 'a celebration, not a mope-fest,' and preferably include some pranks — 'maybe the sound of knocking inside the coffin.' On Tuesday, the City Council in the singer's hometown, Birmingham, England, said that a celebration of the singer's life would be held there on Wednesday, with a hearse carrying his body through Birmingham's main street accompanied by a brass band. The procession will culminate at the Black Sabbath Bench, a tourist attraction dedicated to Osbourne and his bandmates in the heavy metal group that has become a focal point for fan tributes since Osbourne's death at age 76 last week. Zafar Iqbal, Birmingham's lord mayor, an honorary position, said in a statement that '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.' The Osbourne family is covering all costs related to the procession, the lord mayor added. Details of a private family funeral have not yet been announced. A spokesman for the Osbourne family did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. The procession will take place just weeks after Osbourne performed his last ever show, 'Back to the Beginning,' an all-day festival on July 5 that celebrated the singer's life and music. Held at a soccer stadium in Birmingham, the concert also served as a momentary reunion for Black Sabbath, the band that he and three other musicians formed in 1968. Heavy metal and rock bands including Metallica, Slayer and Guns 'n' Roses also played sets and covered Black Sabbath songs at that event, and video tributes from celebrities like Elton John and Dolly Parton were broadcast on large screens at the side of the stage. As Black Sabbath's lead singer, Osbourne was widely considered a forefather of heavy metal music, although he achieved more commercial success in the 1980s and 1990s as a solo musician after his bandmates fired him. In the 2000s, he added reality television success to his résumé thanks to the MTV show 'The Osbournes,' which documented the daily life of the singer and his family. After Osbourne's death, many of his fans traveled to Birmingham to leave tributes. Some also signed a condolence book at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, which has been hosting an exhibition on Osbourne.
