The city of Birmingham came to a standstill Wednesday as thousands bid farewell to one of its most iconic legends — Ozzy Osbourne, who died July 22 at the age of 75.
According to Fox News, those who loved and adored Ozzy Osbourne had a chance to pay homage to the legendary rock legend before he’s laid to rest by close friends and family in a “small, private funeral.”
On Tuesday, the Birmingham City Council announced plans for a public procession that will allow fans to pay their final respects to the legendary Black Sabbath frontman.
“The hearse and accompanying vehicles will slowly make their way down Broad Street from 1pm to the Black Sabbath bridge and bench, where thousands of fans have left heartfelt messages and floral tributes in recent days,” the city announced. “The cortège will be accompanied by a live brass band performance by local musicians from Bostin’ Brass, bringing a final musical moment to honour the extraordinary life and legacy of Ozzy Osbourne.”
The tribute drew massive crowds in a city that takes pride in its native son — a music pioneer who rose from working-class roots to global stardom.
The Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor Zafar Iqbal MBE, JP, emphasized how personal the moment is for the city:
“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.”
Watch the video below:
According to People, Osbourne’s family will hold an intimate gathering:
“They’re very grateful for the special family time they had together before Ozzy passed,” a source told the outlet. “They’re planning a small, private funeral that will be a celebration of his life. Ozzy would never want a mope-fest.”
The source added that Osbourne’s family — including wife Sharon, 72, and their children, Aimee, 41, Jack, 39, and Kelly, 40 — is “touched by all the love and support pouring in from around the world.”
Ozzy himself made his funeral wishes clear years ago. In a 2011 “Dear Ozzy” column for The Times, he wrote:
“I honestly don’t care what they play at my funeral; they can put on a medley of Justin Bieber, Susan Boyle and We Are the Diddymen if it makes ’em happy,” adding, “But I do want to make sure it’s a celebration, not a mope-fest.”
“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,’” he continued. “There’ll be no harping on the bad times.”
“So to answer your question, yes, a bit of planning is the right thing to do for the family you leave behind,” he said. “It’s worth remembering that a lot of people see nothing but misery their whole lives. So by any measure, most of us in this country — especially rock stars like me — are very lucky.”
“That’s why I don’t want my funeral to be sad. I want it to be a time to say ‘thanks.’”
The family announced Ozzy’s death on July 22 with a heartfelt statement:
“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,” they said. “He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.”
Just weeks before his death, Osbourne took the stage in Birmingham for his final concert — a massive 10-hour celebration hosted by Jason Momoa, featuring Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Jack Black, Steven Tyler, and others.
Diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2003 — though he kept it private until 2020 — Osbourne struggled with mobility in recent years, acknowledging his condition on a Jan. 29 episode of his Sirius XM show Ozzy Speaks:
“I may be moaning about how I can’t walk, but I look down the road and there’s people that didn’t do half as much as me, and they didn’t make it.”
Osbourne is survived by wife Sharon, daughters Kelly and Aimee, and son Jack, as well as daughter Jessica and sons Elliot and Louis from his first marriage to Thelma Riley.
As Birmingham says goodbye, it does so not in silence — but with music, memories, and gratitude for a life that changed the world of rock forever.
