During a heartfelt tribute in Birmingham, Sharon Osbourne couldn’t hold back her tears as fans amassed to honor the memory of her beloved husband, Ozzy Osbourne, in a public funeral procession.
Ozzy, the legendary frontman of Black Sabbath, left this world last Tuesday at the age of 76, and a touching farewell was organized to celebrate his life on Wednesday in his hometown.
Sharon, who is 72, walked alongside their children Aimee, Jack, and Kelly, trailing behind the hearse that stopped at significant locations from Ozzy’s past, including the house on Lodge Road in Aston where he grew up.
As the cortege passed by, passionate cheers of “Ozzy! Ozzy! Ozy! Oi! Oi! Oi!” rang out, coinciding with a brass band playing the iconic Black Sabbath track, “Iron Man” as a tribute to the beloved musician.
Grandkids of Ozzy were also seen laying flowers at the emotional memorial, joining in on the moving display of love from the community.
The procession featured a Jaguar hearse, accompanied by a fleet of six black Mercedes and a police escort, all moving slowly to allow fans one last moment to say goodbye.
Each family member carried a pink flower wrapped in black paper, delicately placing them atop the sea of floral tributes next to a poster proclaiming, “Birmingham will always love you.”
Around 12:45 PM on Wednesday, the hearse drove past Ozzy’s childhood home on Lodge Road, Aston, where floral offerings filled the area, alongside a photo of Ozzy displayed in the window by current residents.
The procession continued down Broad Street, where it made a poignant stop at the Black Sabbath bench, now adorned with thousands of tributes, balloons, and flowers left in memory of the rock icon.
Accompanied by the sounds of Black Sabbath music played by Bostin Brass, fans enthusiastically tossed flowers at the hearse as it rolled past, celebrating the life of one of rock’s greatest figures.
Outside a mural on Navigation Street that was unveiled before the Back to the Beginning concert at Villa Park, attendees left their own expressions of love and tribute.
One devoted fan, known as Goose, expressed how Ozzy felt like family, reflecting on discovering heavy metal music as a teen. “It was like finding something or someone who truly understood us,” Goose shared, underscoring the deep connection fans felt with the artist.
Recently, Osbourne and his Black Sabbath bandmates — Terence “Geezer” Butler, Tony Iommi, and Bill Ward — received honorary freedom of the city of Birmingham in recognition of their remarkable contributions.
Born in 1968, Black Sabbath is celebrated for shaping heavy metal music and its enduring legacy.
Ozzy also found new fans through his appearance on reality TV’s The Osbournes in the 2000s, sharing his life with Sharon and their kids Kelly and Jack.
Diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2019, Ozzy performed his final concert on July 5, sharing the stage with renowned groups such as Anthrax, Metallica, and Guns N’ Roses, before tragically passing away just over two weeks after Black Sabbath reunited for a nostalgic performance barely two miles from their roots.
