Birmingham mourns the death of native son Ozzy Osbourne
Outside the Crown Pub, where Black Sabbath played its first gig, Daria DeBuono, 59, and Stephen Voland, 32, both from New York, described the bond the rockstar had with his fans during that farewell show at the city's Villa Park stadium. Even though he stayed seated throughout, the man nicknamed the Prince of Darkness reveled in the embrace of the crowd, they said. 'It's like that is what he was living for, that is what he was keeping himself alive for, was to have that final glorious moment of love,' DeBuono said. 'And being in the crowd, you can just feel the love in the arena that day. It was just very emotional,' Voland completed her thought. 'When I was watching the show, I told her, 'This is like a living memorial that he gets to enjoy,'' he said. 'All this hard work and everyone is here for him. I just felt like it was a cool thing not knowing that this was happening very soon after.'
The original members of Black Sabbath reunited for the first time in 20 years on July 5 for what Osbourne said would be his final concert. Osbourne had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2019. 'Let the madness begin!' he told the 42,000 fans packed into Villa Park as the show got underway. On Wednesday, Birmingham sites linked to Black Sabbath became magnets for fans of the band's front man, who built a second career as a star of the reality TV show 'The Osbournes.' They gathered around the bull in Birmingham New Street station, which was created for the 2022 Commonwealth Games and is known as 'Ozzy.' And they trooped to a mural on Navigation Street that was painted in honor of Black Sabbath's farewell concert.
'He's one of us,' West Midlands region Mayor Richard Parker said at the mural. 'There is an enormous amount of pride – he was forged by this place and he put this place on the map and everyone could relate to him.' But the biggest draw was the Black Sabbath bench, where fans can take selfies alongside life-size images of the four band members. The bench, which was unveiled on the Broad Street canal bridge in 2019, has been surrounded by tributes to Osbourne. 'I think it is so beautiful that he got to finish and do his wish before he finally passed,' said Matthew Caldwell, 36, of Stourbridge, just west of Birmingham. 'Very sad but incredible.'
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a day ago
- Arab News
Thousands to pay respects as Ozzy Osbourne laid to rest in UK hometown
BIRMINGHAM: Thousands are expected to line the streets of Ozzy Osbourne's UK hometown of Birmingham on Wednesday to honor the heavy metal hell-raiser as he is laid to rest. Osbourne, nicknamed the 'Prince of Darkness' and who once bit a bat while on stage while performing with his Black Sabbath band, died on July 22 at the age of 76. The heavy metal star, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2019, passed away just over a fortnight after playing a final gig before a sold-out crowd in Birmingham. Birmingham city council said Osbourne's funeral cortege would pass slowly through the city from 1:00 p.m. (1200 GMT) down Broad Street to Black Sabbath bridge, along a route planned with the rocker's family. The hearse and vehicles will be accompanied by a live brass band performance by local musicians from Bostin' Brass. Osbourne will then be laid to rest at a private funeral service. '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 know how much this moment will mean to his fans. We're proud to host it here with his loving family in the place where it all began,' Iqbal added. Thousands of fans have left heartfelt messages and floral tributes at the bridge in recent days, mourning the death of the musician who was instrumental in pioneering heavy metal, an offshoot of hard rock. 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 hit records, 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 of them fueled by his lavish use of 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 fake rubber bat onstage, and it was not until he took a bite that he realized it was real.
Al Arabiya
23-07-2025
- Al Arabiya
Birmingham mourns the death of native son Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne's fans had sensed the end was near. At his final show just a few weeks ago, admirers watched the heavy metal icon perform while seated on a black throne and knew it would likely be the last time they saw the lead singer of Black Sabbath. He died Tuesday at age 76. So there was little surprise Wednesday as they made pilgrimages to sites around Birmingham, the city in central England where Osbourne grew up and the band was formed. Outside the Crown Pub, where Black Sabbath played its first gig, Daria DeBuono, 59, and Stephen Voland, 32, both from New York, described the bond the rockstar had with his fans during that farewell show at the city's Villa Park stadium. Even though he stayed seated throughout, the man nicknamed the Prince of Darkness reveled in the embrace of the crowd, they said. 'It's like that is what he was living for, that is what he was keeping himself alive for, was to have that final glorious moment of love,' DeBuono said. 'And being in the crowd, you can just feel the love in the arena that day. It was just very emotional,' Voland completed her thought. 'When I was watching the show, I told her, 'This is like a living memorial that he gets to enjoy,'' he said. 'All this hard work and everyone is here for him. I just felt like it was a cool thing not knowing that this was happening very soon after.' The original members of Black Sabbath reunited for the first time in 20 years on July 5 for what Osbourne said would be his final concert. Osbourne had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2019. 'Let the madness begin!' he told the 42,000 fans packed into Villa Park as the show got underway. On Wednesday, Birmingham sites linked to Black Sabbath became magnets for fans of the band's front man, who built a second career as a star of the reality TV show 'The Osbournes.' They gathered around the bull in Birmingham New Street station, which was created for the 2022 Commonwealth Games and is known as 'Ozzy.' And they trooped to a mural on Navigation Street that was painted in honor of Black Sabbath's farewell concert. 'He's one of us,' West Midlands region Mayor Richard Parker said at the mural. 'There is an enormous amount of pride – he was forged by this place and he put this place on the map and everyone could relate to him.' But the biggest draw was the Black Sabbath bench, where fans can take selfies alongside life-size images of the four band members. The bench, which was unveiled on the Broad Street canal bridge in 2019, has been surrounded by tributes to Osbourne. 'I think it is so beautiful that he got to finish and do his wish before he finally passed,' said Matthew Caldwell, 36, of Stourbridge, just west of Birmingham. 'Very sad but incredible.'
Arab News
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- Arab News
TV director accuses UK culture secretary of ‘bullying' BBC over Gaza coverage
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