Ozzy Osbourne's one funeral demand revealed

News.com.au

29-07-2025

Legendary rocker Ozzy Osbourne said he didn't want his funeral to be a 'mope fest' — but instead a celebration of his life.
More than a decade before his death at age 76 last week, the Black Sabbath icon divulged on wishes for his funeral when the time eventually came, reports the New York Post.
In a Dear Ozzy column for the UK's Times newspaper in 2011, the 'Prince of Darkness' was asked if he had any plans for his own 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 wrote.
'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.'
The Crazy Train hitmaker went on, 'So to answer your question, yes, a bit of planning is the right thing to do for the family you leave behind'.
Osbourne added that 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,' he concluded.
In 2023, Ozzy said he would 'die a happy man' if he could express his gratitude to loyal fans ahead of his farewell show.
Speaking to Rolling Stone, the musician admitted that his final wish was 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.'
The rocker's wish came true on July 5 when he took to the stage for the final time at his Black Sabbath farewell concert, titled Back to the Beginning, in Birmingham, UK.
Osbourne wowed the 42,000-person crowd at Villa Park for what turned out to be his last performance in his lifetime.
Elsewhere in his 2023 interview, the rocker 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. 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.'
He went on, 'But look, I said to Sharon [Osbourne] that I'd smoked a joint recently and she said, 'What are you doing that for? It'll f**king kill you!' I said, 'How long do you want me to f – king live for?!'
'At best,' he said, 'I've got 10 years left, and when you're older, time picks up speed.
'Me and Sharon had our 41st wedding anniversary recently, and that's just unbelievable to me,' he added.
The rocker is survived by his wife, Sharon Osbourne, six children and 10 grandkids.