Birmingham bids farewell to Ozzy Osbourne, tearful family lead tributes

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a day ago

Ozzy Osbourne returned to the 'home of metal' for the last time on Thursday as an emotional Birmingham honoured one of its most cherished sons.
Thousands of Black Sabbath fans paid their respects to the band's frontman as his hearse made its way through the city centre, followed by his tearful wife and children.
The hearse carrying Osbourne, who died last week at the age of 76, went down Broad Street, one of the city's major thoroughfare, to the Black Sabbath bench, which was unveiled on the Broad Street canal bridge in 2019.
'Ozzy, Ozzy, Ozzy, oi, oi, oi,' fans screamed.
Six vehicles carrying the Osbourne family followed the hearse, accompanied by police motorcycle riders and a police car.
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The family emerged briefly to inspect the array of tributes, with his wife of 43 years, Sharon, visibly moved and wiping away tears.
And long after the hearse had moved on for the private funeral, the city, which has embraced its reputation as the citadel of heavy metal, was pounding to the beat of Black Sabbath.
It was in Birmingham, where he grew up, that the world-conquering heavy metal band was formed in 1968.
The funeral cortege of Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne travels along Broad Street during his funeral procession, in Birmingham, England (Source: Associated Press)
Osbourne embraced the city in central England as much as it embraced him, as was evident on the streets.
Long-time fan Antony Hunt said it has been an 'emotional' day and that he wanted to be in the city to pay his respects.
'What's amazing is there's so many, such a wide variety of age groups, from little, little children, teenagers to people in their 60s, 70s, so it's great to see that,' he said.
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Katie Brazier, head of events at Birmingham City Council, said Osbourne meant 'everything' to the city.
Fans queue to view and leave tributes to musician Ozzy Osbourne, as thousands of fans gathered to watch a funeral procession for Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne following his death aged 76, in Birmingham, England (Source: Associated Press)
'He never forgot where he came from,' she said. 'You could still hear that Brummie accent wherever he was, you know, I think some people have hidden away from the fact that they are from Birmingham and they've got that accent but he kept it all the way through.'
Osbourne and his Black Sabbath bandmates — Terence Butler, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward — were recently awarded the Freedom of the City in recognition of their services to Birmingham.
Black Sabbath's story began in Birmingham in 1968 when the four original members were looking to escape a life of factory work. Without doubt, the sound and fury of heavy metal had its roots in the city's manufacturing heritage. Osbourne never forgot his working-class roots.
The band has been widely credited with defining and popularising the sound of heavy metal — aggressive, but full of melodies.
Floral tributes left at the Black Sabbath Bridge bench on Broad Street in memory of Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne ahead of the funeral procession, in Birmingham (Source: Associated Press)
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Osbourne was Black Sabbath's frontman during its peak period in the 1970s. His antics, on and off stage, were legendary, and often fueled by drink and drugs. He was widely known as the 'Prince of Darkness'.
The band's eponymous debut album in 1970 made the UK top 10 and paved the way for a string of hit albums, including 1971's Master of Reality and Vol. 4 a year later. It went on to become one of the most influential and successful metal bands of all time, selling more than 75 million albums worldwide.
At the final show on July 5, 42,000 fans watched the band perform for the first time in 20 years at Villa Park, home of the city's biggest football club, Aston Villa, with Osbourne seated on a black throne. Osbourne had been in poor health in recent years, especially after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2019.
Osbourne, who also had a successful solo career, found a new legion of fans in the early 2000s reality show The Osbournes in which he starred alongside Sharon and two youngest children, Kelly and Jack.