From watermelons to bats - wacky and wonderful tributes paid to Black Sabbath's Ozzy Osbourne
A week on from the death of the Prince of Darkness, his spirit continues to provide a light to many in the city.
Amid news that a cortège will pass through the city centre tomorrow (Wednesday, 30 July), fans are still coming together to pay their respects and leave tributes.
Ozzy is certainly known for being eccentric and his legacy has inspired his fans to truly be themselves.
And that can certainly be seen in the wide range of tributes left to him across the city.
At the Black Sabbath bridge in Broad Street in Birmingham, fans have left signed guitars, toy bats, t-shirts and even watermelons.
Beers, whiskies, and lighters are right next to flowers and cards with heartfelt words.
The band members on the bench are draped in Aston Villa scarves and memorabilia.
Black Sabbath are famously from Aston, and it was only three weeks ago that they performed their final show together there "Back to the Beginning".
Notes also surround the bridge in all languages from Ozzy's international fans from around the world.
One of the most visible ones is a sign tied to flowers. It says "od Grzeska z redzina", which is "From friends and family" in Polish.
Among those paying tribute today is schoolgirl Eliza Finn-O'Shea.
She's a huge metal head and Black Sabbath fan who has been to the bridge three times to pay her respects. She plans on coming back again for the procession tomorrow.
She said: "I'm going to come here tomorrow because I want to support Sharon, because two years ago I met her at the Ozzy Ball and she was absolutely lovely to me.
"He's amazing and I love him and his songs. Ozzy is Birmingham."
At the newly made Black Sabbath mural opposite Birmingham New Street Station, fans there loved Ozzy for his attitude.
One said: "What I loved about Ozzy and Black Sabbath is that it really gives you this feeling to live your life true to yourself and don't care what you think and follow other people's rules - which Ozzy clearly never did."
One child at the mural even donated one of his bat teddies to be placed next to the Ozzy mural.
They said: "I was very sad. It was one of his teddies but he wanted to donate it for Ozzy."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
29 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Insiders reveal Kelly Osbourne's final promise to Ozzy
Hidden behind her father Ozzy's trademark round sunglasses , Kelly Osbourne fought to keep her composure as she held up her grieving mother. With her arms around her for support, Kelly watched as a heartbroken Sharon crouched down to place a single rose on a mound of floral tributes in front of thousands of fans who had lined the streets of Birmingham to pay their respects to the Prince of Darkness on Wednesday. Clearly overwhelmed by the crowds, Kelly took a moment as she hugged her brother Jack at the Black Sabbath Bridge site which fast became a memorial for the beloved heavy metal icon after his death, aged 76, last week. It was a particularly poignant moment for Kelly, 40, whose stoicism was a nod to her late father and the touching promise she had made him. 'The last few days have been a tough ride, but Kelly has been focused on executing plans with her mum,' an insider told the Daily Mail. 'Of course there have been tears, but she promised her dad - who openly spoke about not wanting people to mourn but rather celebrate his life - that she would not crumble in public.' The Black Sabbath legend 'always pushed them to 'celebrate what people have done in life, not [expletive] worry about what's next,' and his daughter has embraced his ethos. However, while Kelly has been trying her best to do exactly what her rocker father would have wanted, she is worried about her mother. Those close to the family are said to be extremely 'concerned about the impact this is having on Sharon,' adding that 'she and Ozzy were such a unique couple [and] them being apart it is heartbreaking'. Insiders previously disclosed to the Daily Mail the growing concerns for Sharon, 72, who has dealt with her own health issues over the years, including a colon cancer diagnosis in 2002 that led to surgery and chemotherapy. The music manager, who has been vocal about her life-long struggle with body image issues, also recently revealed she has struggled to gain weight after stopping popular weight-loss drug Ozempic. Sharon and Ozzy had a tumultuous, high-profile relationship that was well-documented by the media and their reality TV show, The Osbournes. The couple first met in 1970 when Sharon - the daughter of Ozzy's then manager -was only 18. At the time, he was married to his first wife Thelma, with whom he had two children, Louis and Jessica. After Ozzy left Black Sabbath, Sharon took over as his manager, and their epic love story began, with a wedding in Hawaii on July 4, 1982. They weathered countless affair allegations - one of which pushed Sharon to overdose - and celebrated their 43rd wedding anniversary on July 4, one day before Ozzy's farewell concert, Back to the Beginning. But 'Kelly will now be there for Sharon,' because of the 'very unique bond' she shared with her father. The Mama I'm Coming Home singer previously told Rolling Stone they were 'like two peas in a pod' and gushed about their unbreakable bond, admitting, 'If I've got a favorite kid, it's Kelly' while joking that his other children knew how he felt. One of Ozzy's biggest dreams was that Kelly would find love like her brother Jack, who married his second wife Aree Gearhart 14 months after welcoming their daughter Maple. Jack, 39, is also a father to daughters Pearl, 11, Andy, seven, and Minnie, five, from his first marriage to Lisa Stelly. 'Ozzy was Kelly's biggest champion in her career and in love,' the insider said, adding while he might be remembered as a 'tough rock star, he was really an emotional teddy bear when it came to the kids.' 'One of his hopes was always that Kelly would find the right partner and fulfil her dream to start a family,' they said. 'For years she had been the doting auntie to Jack's babies and as aunt and granddad they had enjoyed that experience together.' Kelly's partner Sid Wilson, 48, a member of the band Slipknot, proposed at the end of her father's final gig as a fitting farewell. They first met when Kelly was 13 and Sid was 20 during Ozzfest, the heavy metal festival founded by her parents. The loved up couple confirmed their relationship in early 2022, after knowing each other for more than two decades. Just months later, they announced they were expecting their first child. Their son, Sidney, arrived in November 2022. 'When Sid got together with Kelly and they had their son, there was huge joy for Oz,' the insider continued, adding that during his toughest days of feeling unwell and in pain, spending time with his grandson and Kelly helped keep his spirits up and 'bolstered the bond' with his beloved daughter. 'He used to sing to Sidney and play silly games,' they said. 'This was a huge comfort for Kelly, who saw her dad's physical state declining.' Now all eyes will be on Kelly's son, who Ozzy proudly declared 'could become the one to follow him into music'.
Daily Mail
30 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Marilyn Manson leads rock royalty at Ozzy Osbourne's funeral as Black Sabbath star is laid to rest in grounds of his own mansion
Rock band Marilyn Mans on had led the stars arriving at Ozzy Osbourne's funeral as the heavy metal icon is laid to rest. The singer, who died aged 76 this month, is being buried in the grounds of his own mansion in Buckinghamshire - as he desired. The Black Sabbath frontman is being buried in a freshly dug grave close to the lake at the heart of the sprawling 250-acre property near Gerrards Cross. A huge floral tribute in the grounds of the mansion spells out an affectionate tribute to the heavy metal legend, with the words, 'OZZY F***ING OSBOURNE', on the banks of the Osbourne lake. A version of a floral 'Ozzy' tribute that featured at yesterday's memorial procession was also placed atop a fountain. Mourners expected to attend today include Metallica frontman James Hetfield, and Sir Elton John, as tents were seen across the Buckinghamshire estate's grounds. Today's events follow a funeral procession attended by thousands of fans through Birmingham city centre on Wednesday. Ozzy's widow Sharon, 72, was supported by their children Jack, Kelly and Aimee who laid floral tributes and made a peace sign as they gestured their gratitude to fans - while accompanied by Ozzy's son Louis from his first marriage to Thelma Riley. Floral tributes to the rock star first displayed at the public memorial in Birmingham yesterday were on show for the intimate farewell. Goodwill messages have continued to pour in for Osbourne, who died aged 76 last week - and had spoken in the past about his wishes for a lack of funeral fuss. Speaking in in 2011 about how he imagined his future send-off, the Black Sabbath legend said: '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. But I do want to make sure it's a celebration, not a mope-fest.' The funeral cortege yesterday was led by a live brass band, Bostin' Brass, who performed versions of Black Sabbath songs such as Iron Man, as thousands of tearful devotees lined the streets and sang along in Ozzy's memory. Today, marquees and a music stage had been erected next to pond where the private tributes were paid at his home. Guests were seated under huge awnings due to the rain showers that had fallen earlier in the day - while catering facilities, with their own generators, were provided in the garden. A huge security operation was in place from early this morning to ensure the ceremony was strictly invitation only, in accordance with widow Sharon's wishes. A team of bodyguards and private security dog handlers patrolled the perimeter of the estate and traffic marshals directed traffic through the narrow country lane leading to the Osbourne estate. However, diehard fans did leave flowers outside the gates to their rock idol. Ozzy had spoken in 2011 about his funeral intentions, telling the Times: 'I want to make sure it's a celebration, not a mope-fest. '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. It's 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. That's why I don't want my funeral to be sad - I want it to be a time to say, 'Thanks'.' And he wrote in his autobiography I Am Ozzy, published in 2010: 'Eventually death will come, like it comes to everyone. 'I've said to Sharon: 'Don't cremate me, whatever you do.' I want to be put in the ground, in a nice garden somewhere, with a tree planted over my head. 'A crabapple tree, preferably, so the kids can make wine out of me and get p***ed out of their heads. 'As for what they'll put on my headstone, I ain't under any illusions. If I close my eyes, I can already see it. Ozzy Osbourne, born 1948. Died, whenever. He bit the head off a bat.' As things have transpired, huge crowds gathered along the route hours in advance of Wednesday's 1pm start to pay their respects to the Prince of Darkness whose hits included Paranoid and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. The hearse carrying the singer's coffin - adorned with purple flowers spelling out 'Ozzy' - had passed the star's childhood home in Lodge Road, Aston, shortly after midday. Flowers had been placed outside the terraced property, close to Villa Park while the owners of the house put up a picture of Osbourne in the front bay window. The Jaguar hearse and six Mercedes funeral cars, accompanied by police motorcycle riders and a police car, drove slowly along the street watched by a handful of fans and the current owner of the house. Thousands of people were pictured taking their places not only on Black Sabbath Bridge but along the city centre route along which his cortege travelled towards the Black Sabbath Bridge bench. Elsewhere in London, the Coldstream Guards payed tribute to the heavy metal legend at the changing of the guard by performing their own rendition of his hit-song Paranoid. Fans have left heartfelt messages and floral tributes around the Black Sabbath mural on Navigation Street in recent days to honour the heavy metal star who was born in the Aston area of Birmingham. Members of the public have also signed a book of condolences, opened by Birmingham Museum And Art Gallery, which is currently holding an exhibition titled Ozzy Osbourne (1948-2025): Working Class Hero. While organising the procession, Birmingham City Council collaborated with the Osbourne family, who funded all of the associated costs. Ahead of today's follow-up service, the Sun quoted a source as saying: 'Singer Yungblud, who became close with Ozzy in recent years, is going to give a reading. 'His Sabbath bandmates, Tony Iommi, Bill Ward and Geezer Butler, will be there, along with James Hetfield from Metallica. 'Elton John is also hoping to join the family at the church. 'Sharon and his family have been so touched by messages they received not only from Ozzy's friends, but also his fans around the world.' Osbourne and his Black Sabbath bandmates - Butler with the nickname 'Geezer', Iommi and Ward - were recently given the freedom of the city of Birmingham, which recognises people's exceptional service to the city. The group, which formed in 1968, are widely credited with defining and popularising the sound of heavy metal. Osbourne, who also had a successful solo career, found a new legion of fans when he appeared in the noughties reality TV series The Osbournes, starring alongside his wife Sharon and two youngest children, Kelly and Jack. The music star, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2019, performed his last gig on July 5 in a concert that also saw performances from the likes of Anthrax, Metallica and Guns N' Roses. Ozzy took to the stage for his farewell concert at Villa Park stadium in his native Birmingham less than three weeks before his death - reuniting with his original Black Sabbath bandmates for the first time since 2005. More than 42,000 fans packed into the venue for the Back To The Beginning show, during which he told the crowd in his final speech: 'You've no idea how I feel - thank you from the bottom of my heart.' A message on screen then read: 'Thank you for everything, you guys are f***ing amazing. Birmingham Forever,' before the sky lit up with fireworks. He had told of it being his last performance due to his health, having opened up about his battle with Parkinson's in 2020. In a statement shared last Tuesday, Ozzy's family said he died 'surrounded by love', adding: 'It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning.' He is survived by his wife Sharon and his five children Jessica, Louis, Aimee, Kelly and Jack. Daily Mail revealed last Wednesday that an air ambulance was called to Osbourne's grand country home as paramedics battled to save his life for two hours. Friends told the Mail's Alison Boshoff that his heartbroken wife Sharon was considering now burying Ozzy in the gardens of the 350-acre estate in an intimate family funeral. Ozzy was born John Michael Osbourne in Birmingham in 1948, and dropped out of school at the age of 15. After serving two months in prison for burglary, he decided to pursue his love of music. By 1970, Black Sabbath - originally going by the name of Earth - had gained a huge following in the US and UK with the release of their first album. Ozzy quit the band in 1978 and four years later divorced his first wife Thelma Mayfair, with whom he had two children, amid his ongoing substance abuse problems. He went on to marry second wife Sharon, who helped him transform into a successful solo artist and the couple had three children together. Ozzy gained a whole new audience of fans with the family's reality TV show The Osbournes in 2001. Kelly wore Ozzy's trademark purple glasses in a heartbreaking nod to her father at his funeral procession
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Ozzy Osbourne close bond with 'favourite kid' Kelly: A look at Black Sabbath's star's playful moments with his youngest daughter following his death aged 76
Ozzy Osbourne enjoyed a close relationship with all his children but admitted Kelly was his favourite. Speaking to Rolling Stone in 2023, the Black Sabbath singer discussed being a grandfather to Kelly's son Sidney who she shares with Slipknot DJ Sid Wilson. Ozzy, who died on July 22 aged 76, had three children with his wife Sharon - Aimee, 40, Kelly, 39 and Jack, 38. Before that, Ozzy adopted his first wife, Thelma Mayfair's son from a previous marriage, Elliot Kingsley, who is now aged 57. They also had two children together: Louis and his older sister, Jessica Osbourne, who is an actress who appeared in Better Call Saul. Speaking about Kelly's son, he said: 'I can already see what's he gonna be like. He's gonna be a real proper little boy, poking sticks and setting fire to things. Just like I was! 'We get on great, and it's just f***ing wonderful. I never had a chance to see much of my kids growing up because I was always on the road. But being at home has allowed me to do that as a grandad, and little Sid is just f***ing great. He really is. 'It's been the making of Kelly too. If I've got a favourite kid, it's Kelly.' He was asked: 'Are Jack and Aimee aware of that?' And he replied: 'Oh, they know it! Me and Kelly, we're like two peas in a pod!' Kelly and Ozzy shared many playful and heartwarming moments together over the years, many of which were documented on their MTV reality show The Osbournes. In one clip from the show, Ozzy comforted Kelly when she was nervous to go on MTV music show Total Request Live in the early noughties. 'I'm really nervous,' she said backstage. 'I hope I don't trip and then land on my face or something... I know, I can't say f**k, I have to behave myself.' In one throwback clip, Kelly sat backstage with Ozzy as he tried on a black outfit with dramatic tasselled sleeves In another clip from the show, Ozzy spoke about his then teenage daughter's tendency to throw tantrums which he called 'wobblers' 'You can't say what?' Ozzy said as Kelly sat on his lap. 'I learned from you daddy,' she said. 'You learned from the best baby,' he said and gave her a kiss. Ozzy and Kelly were then seen on TLR together with the rocker putting an arm around his clearly nervous daughter. Another resurfaced clip from the show saw Kelly unveiling a small heart tatoo on her hip to Ozzy. Sitting in their living room, Jack hinted at Kelly's new tattoo to which she said: 'That's not fair, you promised you wouldn't say anything.' 'What? Oh, Kelly. What, you got a tattoo? Where?' Ozzy asked. Kelly then showed it to him to which Ozzy said: 'You've got that there for the rest of your f*****g life. It'll break your mum's heart.' In another clip from the show, Ozzy spoke about his then teenage daughter's tendency to throw tantrums which he called 'wobblers'. 'Ever since Kelly was born, she has what we call a wobbler. It's kind of like a freak out. Over nothing! She's had a wobbler everyday,' he said and did an impression of her screaming. After Ozzy's death, Kelly uploaded a super sweet video of the two of them which saw a very touching father-daughter moment, as they danced and sang together in the car. The clip, taken from the 2018 series of Ozzy & Jack's World Detour, saw Kelly behind the wheel of a huge HGV vehicle which was their mode of transport for the trip. As Ozzy, who was dressed very smartly in a navy blazer, black T-shirt, trilby hat and sunglasses stepped into the vehicle, Kelly said: 'I've got this song in my head, I'm gonna have to play it for you.' With George Ezra's 'Paradise' blaring out of the speakers, Kelly begins to sing along, with Ozzy looking bemused as he hears the hit for the first time. However as the chorus comes on, Ozzy cracks a smile and the pair start dancing in their seats, moving their arms and about and shaking their shoulders. Modelling some black nail polish like a pro, Ozzy can be seen moving his hands from side to side and pointing to the sky as the song continues. As Kelly drives off to start their journey, she can be heard saying: 'I love you' with Ozzy replying 'I love you more.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lily Kelsey (@weeniedogadventures) Ozzy was born John Michael Osbourne in Birmingham in 1948, and dropped out of school at the age of 15. After serving two months in prison for burglary, he decided to pursue his love of music and by 1970 Black Sabbath had gained a huge following in the US and UK with the release of their first album. Ozzy quit the band in 1978 and divorced his first wife Thelma Mayfair, who he had two children with, four years later, amid his ongoing substance abuse problems. He went on to marry second wife Sharon Osbourne, who helped him transform into a successful solo artist and the couple had three children together. Ozzy gained a whole new audience of fans with the family's reality TV show The Osbournes in 2001. He is survived by his wife Sharon and his five children, Jessica, Louis, Aimee, Kelly and Jack. Kelly, Ozzy, Sharon and Jack Osbourne pictured at the Grammy Awards in 2014 The final photograph of him before his death was taken on stage as he sat on a black throne aptly decorated with a bat to perform his best-known hits for his loyal fans The statement announcing Ozzy's death was signed by four of his children, and it remains a mystery why his two other children, Jessica and Elliot, were snubbed from the family tribute. It is unclear if they will release their own public statements, as both remain largely out of the spotlight. Jessica was the one who made Ozzy a grandparent for the first time, and despite never appearing in The Osbournes' TV show, she was mentioned in the episode ' Smells Like Teen Spirits,' when Ozzy learned that she had welcomed a daughter. Jessica has two daughters, Isabelle and Kitty, and one son called Harry. Meanwhile, not much is known about Elliot Kingsley as he tends to keep out of the spotlight with no public social media accounts. He now lives in Wellington, New Zealand with his wife Joanne Crawford, who is originally from Scotland, where the couple lived before jetting abroad. Ozzy took to the stage for his farewell concert at Villa Park Stadium in his native Birmingham less than three weeks before his death. The rocker reunited with his original Black Sabbath bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward for the first time since 2005 to bid an emotional farewell to his decades of performing live on stage. After selling out in minutes, over 42,000 fans packed into Villa Park for the aptly-titled Back to the Beginning show, which saw Ozzy and Black Sabbath return to their hometown - 56 years after they formed there. The final photograph of him before his death was taken on stage as he sat on a black throne aptly decorated with a bat to perform his best-known hits for his loyal fans. His final words on stage were: 'It's the last song ever. Your support has enabled us to live an amazing lifestyle, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.'
