Latest news with #AshFarley
BBC News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
'Ozzy was the saviour of weirdos and rebels'
Hundreds of Black Sabbath fans gathered in Birmingham city centre to pay tribute to Ozzy Osbourne. The memorial meet-up was held in the city's Victoria Square, before fans went to visit shrines across the Ash Farley, from Bartley Green, said he had set up the event to celebrate "being part of Birmingham and the metal community", as well as the singer's life. People had come from "far and wide," he said, "obviously because he's a worldwide icon". 'Dreams can come true' The response to the event had been "astronomical", he added, with about 300 fans turning out. "[Ozzy] was the forefather of metal and a voice of rebellion for the outsiders," he said. "And he showed you can make dreams come true, and changed people's lives." 'Brought up on Ozzy' One of those attending the meet, Abbigail Moore, said the artist had meant a lot to her growing up. "My mum and dad brought me up on him and just made me a metal head," she explained. "He gave me a lot of courage to just be who I am and not be afraid of what people say about me."She described the singer, who died on Tuesday, as "a man of the people". "He built an entire empire, created metal, and gave people that didn't have a platform, a platform to stand up for themselves," she said. "He gave me a lot of courage to just be who I am and not be afraid of what people say about me." 'Weirdos, rebels and mischiefs' Also coming into the city centre was Birmingham resident Kieran Merriman, who described the meet as a "celebration of the man that helped me realise who I am and make me feel welcome". He said: "Ozzy and Black Sabbath created this genre of music so that weirdos, rebels and mischiefs alike can all have this place to come together and be themselves. It was an opportunity to celebrate the city as well as the artists, he added. "It's so heart-warming to just be a part of that city that gave birth to metal." 'He's always going to be there' Brooke Moore, who also attended the event, said Ozzy had "given me the courage to do a lot of things that I wouldn't have been able to do if I didn't have this kind of scene around me.""I was really sad when he died," she said. "He's proved to a lot of people that if you come from nothing you can still make something of yourself." Tina Angell, who has been a fan since the age of 15, travelled from Southampton for the event. She said: "He's been with me for all of my life; he's helped me for every day of my life - through the ups and through the downs."I can't think of anything other than when I have been down his music's on full blast and he keeps me going, and keeps me sane. "I feel like every song he's made, he made for me." Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Birmingham: Rock and heavy metal fans to unite for Ozzy memorial
Hundreds of rock and heavy metal fans will gather together to pay tribute to Ozzy Osbourne in Birmingham on Saturday.A memorial meet-up will be held in Victoria Square at 13:00 BST, and they have been invited to share their stories about the Black Sabbath singer, who died on Tuesday at the age of 76. Ozzy fans are also expected to visit shrines across the city on the day, including Black Sabbath Bridge, the mural of the band on Navigation Street, and the Working Class Hero exhibition at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. Organiser Ash Farley, from Bartley Green, said 1,500 people have shown interest in the memorial event, with 200 fans already confirmed to attend. He told the BBC how "heartbroken" he was over the Sabbath star's death. "It was the effect he had on my life. I know people in Birmingham feel the same way - all over the world."I thought the best thing to do was gather people from far and wide, talk about the stories and concerts they've visited, and spread positivity about it all."The head metal fan posted the event on Facebook on Tuesday evening, shortly after Birmingham-born Ozzy's death was announced. He said: "It was unbelievable. I'm gobsmacked at how many people have got in contact with me. "People are coming from as far as Bristol and Wales to share the memories - share the good times that they've experienced with Ozzy, Sabbath and all-around metal music."Speaking about a fitting tribute the city could install to commemorate the star, he suggested an Ozzy statue outside Birmingham Children's Hospital to reflect his charity work. He added: "Ozzy was true to himself; he always loved Birmingham, it was his home. "He's always been a man of the people."Fans also want to rename Birmingham Airport after the singer as a way to honour him. A petition, with nearly 14,000 signatures so far, said the move would recognise his "undeniable" influence on music and culture. The petition stated: "Naming our international airport after him would be a fitting tribute to his extraordinary career and contributions to the arts." Artist Mr Murals returned to Navigation Street to add to the iconic Black Sabbath mural. He is in the process of adding an image of them from their farewell performance at Villa Park earlier this month. Mr Murals, who has previously painted Ozzy in black and white, told the BBC: "This image is one of the last images of them together from the gig. "I started it a couple of weeks ago but didn't get to finish it in time. Since then, with Ozzy passing, it's heartbreaking. "The mural will be finished on Saturday, with Ozzy and Tony Iommi left to complete. The artist said he would have finished the mural sooner, but has been inundated with fans wanting to stop and talk about the said: "You can see how much he meant to people. There are people here from New Zealand this morning that still haven't gone back since the gig. "I didn't give the same appreciation to Ozzy fans that have grown up with him and supported him his whole life. "In the short time I've been painting this and having them engage in the posts online - you can't really beat that." Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
