“When I saw the news yesterday, I thought it was false”: in Birmingham, fans of Ozzy Osbourne pay homage to an “city icon”

“It is one of the darkest days in the history of Heavy Metal: we have lost its godfather, only 17 days after one of the best performances in his life,” Burjor Anklesaria, a 32 -year -old, with gravity.

This fan was able to attend the latest concert of Ozzy Osbourne on July 5 at the Aston Villa stadium. In addition, then met him during a birmingham agreement barely ten days ago.

“He was happy, he dedicated our records with a big smile (…) When I saw the news yesterday. Therefore, I thought it was false,” confesses this Londonian, who arrived in the morning to meditate.

During the concert where he had appeared very weak. Furthermore, the singer reached Parkinson’s disease had to sit, prisoner of his tremors, while the spectators, for many in tears, had encouraged and supported him.

“I haven’t really digested all that. Nevertheless, it’s a lot of emotion,” continues Burjor Anklesaria, tightening a bouquet of flowers in his hands.

A few steps from there. the advertising The Brasshouse broadcasts the singer’s tubes at full volume, and the customers, mostly in the Black Sabbath T-shirt, drink in his memory with beer pints.

The one that was nicknamed “the prince of darkness” was “unique. so cool and funny too”, judges Eliza Shepherd, a 16 -year -old high school student with black and blue hair, who has listened to Heavy Metal “when i saw news yesterday, since “the age of three” with her father.

She too was present at the final show, which she wears the sweatshirt: “The best day of my life (…) even if it was sad to see (Ozzy) a little in difficulty”.

“A little crazy” – "when i saw news yesterday,

For this last metal mass in front of tens of thousands of fans. the group had gathered several major figures of the genre, from Metallica to Anthrax, via Guns N’Roses and Pantera.

The guitarist of Black Sabbath Tony Iommi told the BBC that he found “brilliant” to have been able to find himself one last time. in a city where Ozzy “felt at home”.

A stone’s throw from Birmingham station. farewell messages and flowers were also placed in front of a large fresco representing the “when i saw news yesterday, four founding members of the group.

Metal fans are collected in leather jacket. piercings and colorful hair, but also a grandmother with devil horns on their heads, tourists, and many children who came to accompany their parents or grandparents.

Giving his grandson Stan. Nigel O’Connell, 63, remembers his first concert by Black Sabbath: “It was in the early 80s, when I was about 20 years old. “It was just chaotic (…) everyone jumped everywhere and had fun. »»

“Ozzy was an icon of the city. he was a little crazy but everyone loved him, and he made the city proud” with his life “to say the least” rock’n’roll “, underlines the retiree.

According to the organizers. his latest concert has raised 140 million pounds (around 160 million euros), donated to children’s hospitals and a association of assistance to Parkinson.

Having become a reality TV star with his program “The Osbournes” in the 2000s. one of “when i saw news yesterday, MTV’s greatest successes, Ozzy Osbourne was also known for his excesses of alcohol and drugs.

He had marked the Memoirs after having crunched the head of a living bat in the middle of a concert. and had been arrested in 1989 for trying to strangle his wife, Sharon, when he was drunk.

After several detoxification cures, this father of six children had managed to go up the slope.