Thousands of fans gathered in Birmingham, England, on Wednesday to honor Ozzy Osbourne, the legendary frontman of Black Sabbath, as his funeral procession paid tribute to the heavy metal icon. Osbourne, known as the “Prince of Darkness” and a pioneer of the genre, died on July 22 at age 76, leaving behind a lasting legacy in music and popular culture. The emotionally charged procession wound through the city where he was born and raised, drawing widespread homage to a figure whose influence extended far beyond his hometown.
Thousands lined the streets of the UK city Birmingham on Wednesday to pay an emotional farewell to hometown hero Ozzy Osbourne as the heavy metal hellraiser was laid to rest.
Black Sabbath frontman Osbourne, who earned the nicknamed the "Prince of Darkness" and once bit a bat while on stage, died on July 22 at the age of 76.
He had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2019 and died 17 days after playing a final gig to a sold-out crowd in Birmingham.
Osbourne's funeral procession set off at around 1200 GMT on a route planned with the rocker's family through the English city.
Chants of "Ozzy! Ozzy! Ozzy!" could be heard, with one fan crying out "we love you Ozzy!" as his coffin - sitting in a stately black Jaguar hearse topped with flower arrangements - and other vehicles crawled by.
The procession, which earlier passed the star's childhood home in the city's Aston area, was accompanied by a live brass band performance by local musicians from Bostin' Brass.
Fan Mhairi Larner said it was "overwhelming" and "very emotional" to be part of the city's farewell to a star who'd been so "proud of his roots".
"I've been a fan as long as I can remember, and I raised my son to do the same," said the 31-year-old carer who had travelled from the central city of Nottingham.
"He was just nuts, a little bit weird, but it's nice to have someone like this," she told AFP.
Another fan, Reece Sargeant, came with friends to say goodbye.
"I think it was important to come and pay our respects... Ozzy and Black Sabbath really put Birmingham on the map," he said.
The 16-year-old described the band's last concert as "out of this world".
Osbourne famously once said he wanted his funeral to be a celebration of his life and not a "mope-fest".
The procession paused at the Black Sabbath bench - an art installation featuring headshots of each member on a bridge also named after the band.
Visibly emotional family members including his widow Sharon Osbourne laid flowers at the bench and read some of the written tributes that have been left there along with balloons and flowers.
Thousands of fans have gathered at the bridge in recent days, mourning the death of the musician who was instrumental in pioneering heavy metal.
The cortege, led by police motorbikes, then continued its slow journey towards a private funeral service.
'Tribute'
"Ozzy was more than a music legend - he was a son of Birmingham," Zafar Iqbal, the lord mayor of the central English city, said in a statement.
"It was important to the city that we support a fitting, dignified tribute ahead of a private family funeral.
"We're proud to host it here with his loving family in the place where it all began," Iqbal, who could be seen hugging family members when the procession stopped in central Birmingham, added.
Black Sabbath enjoyed huge commercial success in the 1970s and 80s after forming in Birmingham in 1968.
Their eponymous 1970 debut album made the UK top 10 and paved the way for a string of hits, including their most famous song Paranoid.
The group went on to sell more than 75 million albums worldwide and were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. Osbourne was added for a second time last year as a solo artist.
Osbourne gained notoriety for his outlandish stunts, many fueled by his legendary indulgence in drugs and alcohol.
In 1989, he was arrested for drunkenly trying to strangle his wife Sharon, which he once mentioned in a 2007 interview.
His live performances at the height of his hedonism have gone down in rock folklore, particularly the 1982 gig in the US city of Des Moines when he bit a bat on stage.
Osbourne said he thought a fan had thrown a rubber bat onstage, and it was not until he took a bite that he realized it was real.
By Clara LALANNE / AFP
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