Birmingham gives an emotional farewell to Ozzy Osbourne as tearful
family lead tributes
[July 31, 2025]
By HILARY FOX and PAN PYLAS
BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — Ozzy Osbourne returned to the “home of metal”
for the last time on Wednesday as an emotional Birmingham honored one of
its most cherished sons.
Thousands of Black Sabbath fans paid their respects to the band's
frontman as his hearse made its way through the city center followed by
his tearful wife and children.
The hearse carrying Osbourne, who died last Tuesday at the age of 76,
went down Broad Street, one of the city’s major thoroughfare, to the
Black Sabbath bench, which was unveiled on the Broad Street canal bridge
in 2019.
“Ozzy, Ozzy, Ozzy, oi, oi, oi,” fans screamed.
Six vehicles carrying the Osbourne family followed the hearse,
accompanied by police motorcycle riders and a police car.
The family emerged briefly to inspect the array of tributes, with his
wife of 43 years, Sharon, visibly moved and wiping away tears.
And long after the hearse had moved on for the private funeral, the
city, which has embraced its reputation as the citadel of heavy metal,
was pounding to the beat of Black Sabbath.
It was in Birmingham, where he grew up, that the world-conquering heavy
metal band was formed in 1968.
Osbourne embraced the city in central England as much as it embraced
him, as was evident on the streets.
Long-time fan Antony Hunt said it has been an “emotional” day and that
he wanted to be in the city to pay his respects.
“What’s amazing is there’s so many, such a wide variety of age groups,
from little, little children, teenagers to people in their 60s, 70s, so
it’s great to see that,” he said.
Katie Brazier, head of events at Birmingham City Council, said Osbourne
meant “everything” to the city.
“He never forgot where he came from,” she said. “You could still hear
that Brummie accent wherever he was, you know, I think some people have
hidden away from the fact that they are from Birmingham and they’ve got
that accent but he kept it all the way through.”
Osbourne and his Black Sabbath bandmates — Terence Butler, Tony Iommi
and Bill Ward — were recently awarded the Freedom of the City in
recognition of their services to Birmingham.
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The family of Ozzy Osbourne from left, Jack Osbourne, Sharon
Osbourne and Kelly Osbourne lay flowers and view the flowers left at
the Black Sabbath Bridge bench on Broad Street in memory of Black
Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne ahead of the funeral procession, in
Birmingham, England, Wednesday July 30, 2025. (Jacob King/PA via AP)
 Black Sabbath’s story began in
Birmingham in 1968 when the four original members were looking to
escape a life of factory work. Without doubt, the sound and fury of
heavy metal had its roots in the city’s manufacturing heritage.
Osbourne never forgot his working-class roots.
The band has been widely credited with defining and popularizing the
sound of heavy metal — aggressive, but full of melodies.
Osbourne was Black Sabbath’s frontman during its peak period in the
1970s. His antics, on and off stage, were legendary, and often
fueled by drink and drugs. He was widely known as the “Prince of
Darkness.”
The band’s eponymous debut album in 1970 made the U.K. top 10 and
paved the way for a string of hit albums, including 1971’s “Master
of Reality” and “Vol. 4” a year later. It went on to become one of
the most influential and successful metal bands of all time, selling
more than 75 million albums worldwide.
At the final show on July 5, 42,000 fans watched the band perform
for the first time in 20 years at Villa Park, home of the city’s
biggest soccer club, Aston Villa, with Osbourne seated on a black
throne. Osbourne had been in poor health in recent years, especially
after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2019.
Osbourne, who also had a successful solo career, found a new legion
of fans in the early 2000s reality show “The Osbournes” in which he
starred alongside Sharon and two youngest children, Kelly and Jack.
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Pylas contributed from London.
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