'A unique presence and fearless talent': Ozzy Osbourne dead at 76
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Herald Sun
an hour ago
- Herald Sun
Ozzy Osbourne funeral: Public procession planned through Birmingham
The Prince of Darkness will be laid to rest in an intimate gathering. A week after the death of Ozzy Osbourne at age 76, his family is arranging a way to honour the late rocker. 'They're planning a small, private funeral that will be a celebration of his life,' a source told People 'Ozzy would never want a mope-fest.' Fans will be given a chance to pay their respects to Osbourne, as his funeral cortege travels through his beloved home city of Birmingham. Osbourne's body will be brought back to the city for a procession that will travel along Broad Street from 1pm on Wednesday, local time (10pm AEST). The procession, which takes place ahead of the private funeral, will pause at the Black Sabbath bench and bridge. Osbourne's loved ones, including his wife Sharon, 72, and their kids Aimee, 41, Jack, 39, and Kelly, 40, are all 'touched by all the love and support pouring in from around the world.' The former Black Sabbath frontman has previously made his funeral wishes clear. In a Dear Ozzy column for The Times of London in 2011, Osbourne was asked about his future memorial. 'I honestly don't care what they play at my funeral; they can put on a medley of Justin Bieber, Susan Boyle and We Are the Diddymen if it makes 'em happy,' he revealed to the outlet. 'But I do want to make sure it's a celebration, not a mope-fest.' Osbourne added, 'I'd also like some pranks: maybe the sound of knocking inside the coffin; or a video of me asking my doctor for a second opinion on his diagnosis of 'death.' There'll be no harping on the bad times.' 'So to answer your question, yes,' he continued, 'a bit of planning is the right thing to do for the family you leave behind.' For the heavy metal icon, Osbourne felt it was 'worth remembering that a lot of people see nothing but misery their whole lives. So by any measure, most of us in this country — especially rock stars like me — are very lucky.' With that notion in mind, the musician concluded, 'That's why I don't want my funeral to be sad. I want it to be a time to say 'thanks.'' In 2023, the reality star — who revealed his Parkinson's diagnosis in 2020 — also insisted that he 'doesn't fear death' and was well-aware that he had 'at best 10 years left.' 'I don't fear dying, but I don't want to have a long, painful and miserable existence,' he explained to Rolling Stone. 'I like the idea that if you have a terminal illness, you can go to a place in Switzerland and get it done quickly. I saw my father die of cancer.' 'But look, I said to Sharon that I'd smoked a joint recently and she said, 'What are you doing that for? It'll f–king kill you!'' Osbourne admitted. 'I said, 'How long do you want me to f–king live for?!' At best, I've got 10 years left and when you're older, time picks up speed.' The late star noted about his union to the former talk show host: 'Me and Sharon had our 41st wedding anniversary recently, and that's just unbelievable to me.' At the time, he also shared that he wanted to feel 'well enough' for one more live performance before his time was up. 'If I can't continue doing shows on a regular basis, I just want to be well enough to do one show where I can say, 'Hi guys, thanks so much for my life,'' he told the outlet. 'That's what I'm working towards, and if I drop down dead at the end of it, I'll die a happy man.' Along with plans for his memorial, Osbourne also detailed how he wanted to be remembered. In recent years, Osbourne had undergone multiple surgeries, including going under the knife for a debilitating spinal injury in 2019. 'I mean, I'm 73. People go, 'Well, you're 70… why don't I throw the towel in?' Why should I? People still want to buy my records,' he told People. 'People still want to see me, so why should I? It motivates me to get off my backside and do something. I mean, if my career had gone down the toilet and I knew it was the end, I'd be pretty miserable.' On July 5, Osbourne was able to turn one of his dreams into a reality. The singer performed at Black Sabbath's 'Back to the Beginning' farewell concert in his native Birmingham, England. Osbourne, who couldn't walk on his own anymore, sat in a black leather chair. He sang five songs solo, and was then accompanied by his former bandmates Tony Iommi, Bill Ward and Geezer Butler for four final Black Sabbath tunes. 'You have no idea how I feel,' he told the crowd at Villa Park. 'Thank you from the bottom of my heart.' This article originally appeared on the New York Post Originally published as Ozzy Osbourne funeral: Public procession planned through Birmingham
Perth Now
3 hours ago
- Perth Now
Lzzy Hale recalls Ozzy Osbourne's 'emotional' farewell gig
Lzzy Hale relished being part of Ozzy Osbourne's final gig. The Black Sabbath frontman passed away on July 22, aged 76, and Lzzy still feels "emotional" when she thinks about the farewell gig at Villa Park in Birmingham. The 41-year-old Halestorm star told People: "There was a point when we were all clapping and crying, and he was trying to get out of that throne, trying to stand up. "That's the beauty of music. I bet you that he could fly in that moment. I think that this was exactly how he wanted to end that chapter." The Back to the Beginning show featured performances from likes of Yungblud and Metallica, and Lzzy now doubts whether the occasion could ever be replicated. She said: "Everybody's tearful and crying but [with] the biggest smiles on their faces. [Ozzy] was just hungry until the end. He was throwing it down, and we were like, 'Oh my god!' "Everybody was on the same page and everyone was there for the same reasons. I don't know if we'll ever experience anything like that again." Meanwhile, an insider recently revealed that Sharon Osbourne fought a behind-the-scenes battle with insurance companies ahead of Ozzy's last-ever gig. The iconic star - who was suffering from Parkinson's disease - was able to take to the stage for one final time at Villa Park in Birmingham, after Sharon struck a deal with insurers. A source told the Sunday Mirror newspaper: "It is heartbreaking to think about the stress that Ozzy and Sharon went through in those last few weeks. Ozzy had worked his a** off to get himself to a place where he could at least stand up and wave to fans. But for shows of that magnitude, if the artists do not meet the insurers' satisfaction of risk liability then the show doesn't go ahead. "With the Parkinson's and the walking issues, no insurance agent would agree to let Oz stand. So to overcome that, and not have a huge insurance premium on the charity show, they secured a deal to have him safely locked in his throne. It was a brilliant compromise. "It really speaks so much to Sharon's drive and focus to get it all pulled off, because of the liability issues. She was a miracle worker."
Sydney Morning Herald
4 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Details of Ozzy Osbourne's funeral requests emerge
London: When Ozzy Osbourne was an advice columnist for The Sunday Times of London, he detailed what he wanted his funeral to be like. The heavy metal singer and reality TV star wrote in 2011 that he hoped the eventual ceremony would be 'a celebration, not a mope-fest' and preferably include some pranks – 'maybe the sound of knocking inside the coffin'. On Tuesday, the City Council in the singer's hometown, Birmingham, England, said that a celebration of the singer's life would be held there on Wednesday, with a hearse carrying his body through Birmingham's main street accompanied by a brass band. The procession will culminate at the Black Sabbath Bench, a tourist attraction dedicated to Osbourne and his bandmates in the heavy metal group that has become a focal point for fan tributes since Osbourne's death at age 76 last week. Zafar Iqbal, Birmingham's lord mayor, an honorary position, said in a statement that 'it was important to the city that we support a fitting, dignified tribute ahead of a private family funeral. We know how much this moment will mean to his fans.' The Osbourne family is covering all costs related to the procession, the lord mayor added. Details of a private family funeral have not yet been announced. A spokesperson for the Osbourne family did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. The procession will take place just weeks after Osbourne performed his last show, Back to the Beginning, an all-day festival on July 5 that celebrated the singer's life and music. Held at a soccer stadium in Birmingham, the concert also served as a momentary reunion for Black Sabbath, the band that he and three other musicians formed in 1968. Heavy metal and rock bands including Metallica, Slayer and Guns N' Roses also played sets and covered Black Sabbath songs at that event, and video tributes from celebrities such as Elton John and Dolly Parton were broadcast on large screens at the side of the stage. As Black Sabbath's lead singer, Osbourne was widely considered a forefather of heavy metal music, though he achieved more commercial success in the 1980s and 1990s as a solo musician after his bandmates fired him.
