Ozzy Osbourne funeral: Birmingham, the home of metal, honors music legend as hearse passes through

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The “home of metal” is honoring one of its most cherished sons.

Thousands of Black Sabbath fans were paying their respects Wednesday to frontman Ozzy Osbourne as his hearse made its way through the streets of Birmingham, the English city where he grew up and where the band was formed in 1968.

The hearse carrying Osbourne, who died last Tuesday at the age of 76, was making its way down Broad Street, 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 as the hearse arrived.

Six vehicles carrying the Osbourne family, who paid for the procession, followed. The family emerged briefly, with his wife of 43 years Sharon visibly moved.

The family of Ozzy Osbourne (left to right) Jack, Sharon and Kelly Osbourne, view the messages and floral tributes left at the Black Sabbath Bridge bench on Broad Street in Birmingham in memory of Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne, as his body is brought back to his home city for a procession on Wednesday July 30, 2025. Joe Giddens/PA Wire

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.

Since Osbourne’s death was announced, fans have made pilgrimages to sites around Birmingham, which has embraced its reputation as the birthplace of heavy metal. Among his peers, the singer was metal’s godfather.

“Ozzy was more than a music legend – he was a son of Birmingham,” said city official Zafar Iqbal. “We know how much this moment will mean to his fans.”

Floral tributes left at the Black Sabbath Bridge bench on Broad Street in Birmingham in memory of Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne. Jacob King/PA Wire

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.

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, and his Brummie accent remained.

Black Sabbath has been widely credited with defining and popularizing the sound of heavy metal – aggressive, but full of melodies.

Osbourne was the band’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.”

Ozzy Osbourne’s life in pictures 43 photos Ozzy Osbourne poses for a portrait in 2009. Patrick Fraser/Contour/Getty Images Ozzy Osbourne’s life in pictures Ozzy Osbourne poses for a portrait in 2009. Patrick Fraser/Contour/Getty Images Osbourne, third from left, and other members of Black Sabbath — Bill Ward, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler — sit on a bench together in 1970. The band’s first two albums, “Black Sabbath” and “Paranoid,” were released that year. “Paranoid” is often regarded as one of the greatest albums of all time, with notable songs including “Iron Man,” “War Pigs” and the title track. Chris Walter/WireImage/Getty Images Osbourne performs with Black Sabbath in 1973. Osbourne said in numerous interviews that the Beatles were his musical inspiration. He credited the Beatles’ 1963 song “She Loves You” for his becoming a musician. Colin Fuller/Redferns/Getty Images From left, Ward, Butler, Osbourne and Iommi celebrate the band’s 10th anniversary in 1978. Richard E. Aaron/Redferns/Getty Images Osbourne sits on a swing with his children Louis and Jessica in 1978. Osbourne was married twice and had six children, including one stepson. Mirrorpix/Getty Images Osbourne and his second wife, Sharon. They married in 1982 after Osbourne’s first marriage ended in divorce. She was the daughter of his former manager. DMI/The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock Osbourne poses for a portrait in 1981. He was fired from Black Sabbath in 1979 due to alcohol and drug problems. But he went on to have a successful solo career before reuniting with the band in 1997. Fin Costello/Redferns/Getty Images Osbourne performs in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1983. His famous bat-biting incident occurred at a show in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1982. He later claimed he thought the bat was made of rubber. Jorgen Angel/Redferns/Getty Images Osbourne has his makeup done for an album cover session in 1983. Fin Costello/Redferns/Getty Images Osbourne was arrested in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1984 and charged with public intoxication. His drinking and drug abuse problems followed him through his life. Donaldson Collection/Archive Photos/Getty Images Osbourne kisses his mother, Lilian, in 1986. Birmingham Post and Mail Archive/Mirrorpix/Getty Images Osbourne poses in a Tokyo hotel room in 1986. Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Osbourne and his wife, Sharon, pose with their three children — Kelly, Jack and Aimee — at home in the early 1990s. Dave Hogan/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Osbourne smooches his dog in 1991. Martyn Goodacre/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Osbourne, Iommi and Butler leave their handprints as they are inducted into the Hollywood RockWalk in 1992. Vinnie Zuffante/Archive Photos/Getty Images Osbourne performs on stage in 1997. Martyn Goodacre/Hulton Archive/Getty Images The Osbournes attend an awards show in London in 1997. Neil Munns/PA Images/Getty Images From left, Butler, Osbourne and Iommi pose for a portrait together in Amsterdam in 1998. Paul Bergen/Redferns/Getty Images Black Sabbath performs during the Ozzfest tour in 2001. Mick Hutson/Redferns/Getty Images Osbourne is joined by Marilyn Manson, left, and Robbie Williams as he receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2002. Vince Bucci/Getty Images Osbourne appears in a Pepsi ad with Donny and Marie Osmond. It aired during the Super Bowl in 2003. Pepsi Co./Getty Images Osbourne and his wife, Sharon, sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during a Chicago Cubs baseball game in 2003. Jon Soohoo/WireImage/Getty Images Osbourne and his daughter Kelly film a video for their duet “Changes” in 2003. L. Cohen/WireImage/Getty Images Osbourne and other rockers attend a ceremony with the mother of guitarist Randy Rhoades, who was being posthumously inducted into the Hollywood RockWalk in 2004. Rhoades died in a plane crash while touring with Osbourne in 1982. Frazer Harrison/Getty Images Osbourne films a video for his single “In My Life” in 2004. Dave Hogan/Getty Images Osbourne and his wife, Sharon, appear on stage at the MTV Europe Music Awards in 2004. Frank Micelotta/Getty Images Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne appear in an episode of “The Osbournes,” a reality TV show that aired from 2002 to 2005. MTV/Everett Collection The Osbournes hold a press conference after a burglary at their home in 2004. Peter Macdiarmid/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Osbourne poses for a portrait in 2005. Perou/Camera Press/Redux Osbourne speaks as Black Sabbath was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images Osbourne performs during the VH1 Rock Honors show in 2007. Kevin Winter/Getty Images Osbourne performs in 2010. Corbis/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images Osbourne and the rest of Black Sabbath — from left, Ward, Butler and Iommi — announce their first album in 33 years at an event in 2011. Kevin Winter/Getty Images Osbourne appears at the Lollapalooza festival in Chicago in 2012. Barry Brecheisen/WireImage/Getty Images Osbourne performs at the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s “An Evening With Women” gala in 2013. Beck Starr/WireImage/Getty Images Osbourne poses with a Grammy Award on his head after Black Sabbath won for best metal performance (“God is Dead?”) in 2014. Frazer Harrison/Getty Images Black Sabbath performs in New York in 2014. Kevin Mazur/WireImage/Getty Images Osbourne performs with Black Sabbath at a festival in London’s Hyde Park in 2014. Christie Goodwin/Redferns/Getty Images Black Sabbath waves to the crowd after a performance at New York’s Madison Square Garden in 2016. Kevin Mazur/WireImage/Getty Images Osbourne launches a Metro tram bearing his name on a newly opened route in Birmingham, England, in 2016. PA/AP Osbourne announces another farewell tour, “No More Tours II,” in 2018. Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Live Nation Osbourne performs during halftime of an NFL football game in Inglewood, California, in 2022. Jon Endow/Image of Sport/Sipa USA Osbourne attends his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2024. “Ozzy Osbourne has made a lasting impact on rock music and influenced countless artists,” says his page on the Hall of Fame website. “With his longevity, enormous impact and iconic persona, Ozzy is a phenomenon unlike any other in rock music.” Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images Prev Next Ozzy Osbourne’s life in pictures

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.