There were several thousand, dressed in black, often wearing a t-shirt or a jacket in his effigy, waiting since morning in the streets of Birmingham. This Wednesday, July 30, the English city paid a final tribute to Ozzy Osbourne, a legendary figure of Heavy Metal and local icon, disappeared on July 22 at the age of 76.
The funeral procession started at 1 p.m. local time, including Broad Street, a famous artery decorated with stars like Hollywood, where the name of Ozzy is engraved alongside other personalities in the city. The route then led to the “Black Sabbath Bridge”, where a bench with the image of the group overlooks the street. Since the announcement of its death, this place has become a spontaneous memorial, covered with flowers, candles and messages left by fans.
In the middle of this mourning crowd, Ozzy Osbourne’s family was also present to pay him a last tribute. His widow, Sharon Osbourne, very moved, was seen in tears during the passage of the hearse decorated with purple flowers on the Black Sabbath Bridge. She was surrounded by their three children, Jack, Kelly and Aimee, as well as Louis Osbourne, the eldest son of the singer from his first marriage to Thelma Riley. Together, they filed flowers at the foot of the Black Sabbath Bench, already covered with messages, candles and memories left by the fans.
A popular and planetary tribute
The ceremony was broadcast live on the internet, allowing millions of Ozzy Osbourne admirers around the world to follow this day of tribute. The procession was accompanied by local musicians, recalling the artist’s deep anchoring in his hometown.
“Ozzy was more than a music legend, he was a son of Birmingham. It was important for the city that we paid him an appropriate, worthy tribute, “said Mayor Zafar Iqbal.
The burial ceremony was held in the strictest intimacy. According to The Sun, many music stars were expected, including Elton John, who praised him as “a close friend”, or James Hetfield, Metallica singer.
An extraordinary course, between excess and success
Ozzy Osbourne had given his final concert on July 5 in Birmingham, with his black Sabbath acolytes, ahead of tens of thousands of fans. A final symbolic appearance for those who have suffered from Parkinson’s disease since 2009, and whose state of health had deteriorated strongly in recent years.
Outstanding singer, provocative character, Ozzy Osbourne marked music and popular culture through several generations. The Black Sabbath group, trained in 1968, sold more than 75 million albums around the world, imposing a radical musical style that was going to influence an entire scene.
In the 2000s, he had conquered a new audience with the reality TV show “The Osbournes”, one of the greatest successes of MTV. He will also remain famous for escapades that have remained in the memories, as the day he had bitten the head of a living bat in the middle of a concert.
