Fans gather in Birmingham for Ozzy Osbourne’s funeral procession
Thousands of fans lined the streets of Birmingham, England on Wednesday to bid a final farewell to legendary rock star Ozzy Osbourne, who died on July 22 at the age of 76. The funeral procession traveled through the city before arriving at the Black Sabbath Bridge and bench, where tributes to the music icon had been placed by grieving fans.
Lord Mayor of Birmingham Councillor Zafar Iqbal MBE, JP, called it “important” for the city to honor Osbourne, who was born and raised in Birmingham, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
“Ozzy was more than a music legend – he was a son of Birmingham,” Iqbal said. “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 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.”
While the public procession allowed fans to pay their respects, Osbourne’s family will hold a private, intimate funeral service. According to People, the family – including his wife Sharon, 72, and their children Aimee, 41, Jack, 39, and Kelly, 40 – is “very grateful for the special family time they had together before Ozzy passed.” A source added that the small service will be “a celebration of his life,” in line with Osbourne’s own wishes.
In a 2011 column for The Times, Osbourne had joked about what he wanted for his funeral. “I honestly don’t care what they play at my funeral… but I do want to make sure it’s a celebration, not a mope-fest,” he wrote. “I’d also like some pranks: maybe the sound of knocking inside the coffin; or a video of me asking my doctor for a second opinion on his diagnosis of ‘death.’”
Osbourne, known as the “Prince of Darkness,” rose to fame as the lead singer of Black Sabbath and enjoyed a decades-long solo career. In 2022, he revealed he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and had faced several health issues in his later years.
Tributes from music legends and fans across the globe continue to pour in for Osbourne, remembered as one of the most influential figures in rock history. “That’s why I don’t want my funeral to be sad,” he once said. “I want it to be a time to say ‘thanks.’”
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