Ozzy Osbourne dies at the age of 76, family announces
"He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.'
He had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2019.
BREAKING: Ozzy Osbourne has died at the age of 76.https://t.co/m26i5ZEj8H
📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/jryOGQRQr1
As frontman of Black Sabbath, he was at the forefront of the heavy metal scene – a deeper, darker offshoot of hard rock.
His theatrical stage presence, including once biting off the head of a bat, and styling himself as the Prince of Darkness, marked him out as a controversial figure.
Born John Michael Osbourne on December 3 1948, in Aston, Birmingham, he left school at 15 and did odd jobs, including factory work, before teaming up with school friend Geezer Butler in several bands.
Just weeks ago, the legendary rocker told thousands of heavy metal enthusiasts at Villa Park – a stone's throw from where Black Sabbath was formed in 1968 – that it was 'so good to be on this stage' as he performed his last set from a large black throne.
Osbourne and his fellow original Black Sabbath members – Tony Iommi, Terence 'Geezer' Butler and Bill Ward – were the last to appear on stage as part of a star-studded line-up for the Back to the Beginning concert.
His final concert raised over £150 million for charity, just two weeks after he gave adoring fans one final incredible performance at his hometown in Birmingham.
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Daily Mirror
21 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Ozzy Osbourne fans break barriers at funeral procession as family mourn star
Black Sabbath icon, Ozzy Osbourne, is being laid to rest tomorrow following his heartbreaking send-off in Birmingham today Ozzy Osbourne's legion of loyal fans have broken the barriers at his heartbreaking procession in Birmingham today as they tried to see the outpouring of tributes left for the Black Sabbath star before he is laid to rest tomorrow. The dad-of-six has been given one final journey around his beloved hometown in honour of Ozzy's legion of loyal fans, who have been left bereft by his death. It comes as the star's devasted family broke down amid the heartbreaking amount of flowers and tributes left for the singer as fans were seen trying to storm the barriers so that they too could get a closer look. In moving scenes, fans stormed police barriers after Ozzy's procession left. They lifted the metal barriers and headed onto the street to flock to Black Sabbath Bridge to read tributes and lay down more flowers. Security, while present, let the fans get on with celebrating Ozzy in their own way. It has been a day of celebration rather than sadness for fans gathered to pay their respects to Ozzy. Thousands of fans lined Broad Street chanting 'Ozzy,Ozzy,Ozzy' as his procession arrived. His family was supported by chants of 'We love Ozzy' and 'We love the Osbournes'. Sharon, Kelly, Jack and Aimee were all dressed in black as they arrived for the procession, with Sharon and Kelly seen sobbing in truly heartbreaking scenes. Ozzy died aged 76 on Tuesday last week, with his private funeral taking place just over a week later. His famous family - who admitted there were no words to describe their loss - wanted to give fans one last chance to pay their respects to the Changes star as a special procession will head down Broad Street in the city. The hearse carrying the star's coffin passed the star's childhood home in Lodge Road, Aston, at about 12.45pm on its route into Birmingham city centre. Flowers have been placed outside the terraced property, close to Villa Park, since the singer's death, while the owners of the house have 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. The procession passed Black Sabbath bridge and bench, where floral tributes have been laid out for the rock icon. Proceedings started at 1pm, with Broad Street closed to traffic from 7am. Ozzy's family are covering the costs, with the council helping with the road closure. He was "desperate to come home" in recent years following his Parkinson's diagnosis, and Ozzy made it back to England before his death. The poignant message above the statement announcing his death read "Birmingham, England July 22, 2025" - revealing that Ozzy made it back home, one last time.
Reuters
21 minutes ago
- Reuters
Ozzy Osbourne fans line Birmingham streets to honour Black Sabbath star
BIRMINGHAM, England, July 30 (Reuters) - Thousands of heavy metal fans lined the streets of Birmingham on Wednesday for the funeral procession of Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne, who died earlier this month at the age of 76. The cortege of the singer known as "The Prince of Darkness" and the "Godfather of Heavy Metal" was driven through his home city in central England before a private funeral. It stopped at a bench dedicated to the musical pioneers, and Osbourne's wife, Sharon, and their family looked at some of the thousands of flowers and tributes left by fans. The family waved and made peace signs to the crowd, many of whom chanted "Ozzy, Ozzy". Osbourne had said he did not want his funeral to be a "mope-fest", and celebration was mixed with sadness on the streets, with a New Orleans-style brass band leading the procession. Graham Croucher, a 58-year-old train driver from Northampton, said Osbourne was an "absolute legend". "He was the soundtrack particularly to my life growing up," he said. "Black Sabbath are the originators of heavy metal and made such great music. And he dared to be different because he was different." This month, Osbourne played a final concert in the city, where a star-studded line-up featuring Metallica, Slayer, Tool and Guns N' Roses paid tribute to Black Sabbath's legacy. Black Sabbath hits "Paranoid", "War Pigs" and "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" made Osbourne a star in the early 1970s, and his antics on stage, most famously biting the head off a bat, extended his fame far beyond metal music. In 2002, he won new fans when he starred in U.S. reality TV show "The Osbournes", with Sharon and two of his children, Jack and Kelly. He died on July 22. No cause of death was given, but the star had disclosed a Parkinson's disease diagnosis in 2020.
Daily Mail
24 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Ozzy Osbourne's 'favourite child' Kelly makes touching tribute to her beloved father at heartbreaking funeral procession
Kelly Osbourne wore Ozzy's trademark purple glasses in a heartbreaking nod to her beloved father at his funeral procession in Birmingham on Wednesday. The heavy metal icon, who died last week aged 76, was commemorated in a parade through the city centre - with friends and family including his wife Sharon attending and getting out of the cortege at Black Sabbath Bridge. Ozzy has made known Kelly is his 'favourite child' in the past, previously telling Rolling Stone 'we're like two peas in a pod' as he gushed over their bond. As she mourns the devastating loss of her father and best friend, Kelly covered her tears with the glasses Ozzy was renowned for. She and her siblings Jack and Aimee laid their own floral tributes at the site while supporting Sharon. They also made a peace sign as they gestured their gratitude to the crowds, while accompanied by Ozzy's son Louis from his first marriage to Thelma Riley. Father-of-five Ozzy proudly shared Kelly was his favourite child: 'If I've got a favourite kid, it's Kelly.' He was by Rolling Stones: 'Are Jack and Aimee aware of that?' He replied: 'Oh, they know it! Me and Kelly, we're like two peas in a pod!' The pair famously brought out a duet together called Changes in 2003, which charted at Number One. The funeral cortege was led along Broad Street by a live brass band, Bostin' Brass, who were performing versions of Black Sabbath songs such as Iron Man, as thousands of devotees lined the streets. Huge crowds had begun gathering along the route hours in advance of the 1pm start, to pay their respects towards the singer whose songs included Paranoid and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. 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. The hearse carrying the singer's coffin - adorned with purple flowers spelling out 'Ozzy' - passed the star's childhood home in Lodge Road, Aston, at about 12.45pm on its route into Birmingham city centre. Flowers were placed outside the terraced property, close to Villa Park, since the singer's death, 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. 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. One Black Sabbath fan gathering along Broad Street, giving the name of Goose, told today of discovering heavy metal as a teenager and feeling uplifted by Ozzy. They said: 'That's when I found, like millions of people around the world, that there was music that was for us, something that understood us. 'We knew that there was somebody out there that felt the way that we did and it was a constant presence. 'Ozzy helped give that to the world. He was a family member. He felt like a family member to so many people and he touched so many people's lives.' 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.' 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 Daily 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. He spoke in 2011 about how he imagined his future send-off, telling the Times: '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. 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".'
