Birmingham bids farewell to Ozzy Osbourne with heartfelt procession
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.
Osbourne's funeral procession included a brass band and paused at the Black Sabbath bench. Photo / Getty Images
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.
Osbourne was described by one of his fans as "just nuts" and "a little bit weird". Photo / Getty Images
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.
Flowers and notes are seen on the Black Sabbath Bridge placed ahead of the procession. Photo / Getty Images
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.
Jack Osbourne, Sharon Osbourne and Kelly Osbourne at Ozzy Osbourne's funeral. Photo / Getty Images
The Osbournes stopped to view tributes to the late Ozzy from fans at Black Sabbath Bench and Bridge. Photo / Getty Images
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.
Lord Mayor of Birmingham Zafar Iqbal paid tributes at the Black Sabbath Bench and Bridge before Ozzy Osbourne's funeral cortege. Photo / Getty Images
'It was important to the city that we support a fitting, dignified tribute before 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.
Black Sabbath's Bill Ward, Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi and Ozzy Osbourne in the 1970s. Photo / Getty Images
Geezer Butler, Bill Ward, Ozzy Osbourne and Tony Iommi backstage for the Black Sabbath Reunion in 2011. Photo / Getty Images
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 fuelled by his legendary indulgence in drugs and alcohol.
Ozzy Osbourne's performance at the 25th Anniversary Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Concert in 2009. Photo / Getty Images
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 realised it was real.
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