Latest news with #BlackSabbathBridge
BBC News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Ozzy Osbourne tributes grow as thousands flock to Birmingham
Thousands of Black Sabbath fans have been flocking to Birmingham to pay tribute to Ozzy Osbourne since his death last week - including a family forever touched by the singer's from as far away as Mexico, the USA and Poland have added to the sea of flowers and messages at Black Sabbath Bridge on Broad Street in the heart of Osbourne's home metal fans, it was like the death of the Queen, observed one visitor to the spot this shared their personal stories, including Tom and Kellie who told the BBC how the Sabbath frontman's memory would always be kept alive at home. They named their nine-year-old son after him. "It started off as a joke really," Tom said. "We couldn't agree on a name and we just kept coming back to Ozzy."He was the literal greatest metal frontman of all time."The family, from Preston, Lancashire, were travelling home from London when they stopped off in Birmingham to lay flowers at the the flowers, they added a written message, Tom, 43, said. "Thank you for showing the world that it is possible to come from virtually nothing, from humble working class beginnings, and live life on your own terms."Kellie described Osbourne as a "lovable maniac" who was funny and humble and had loved his family and fans."He was mad but I think that's what took him from being the godfather of metal to being a national treasure," she pilgrimages involved much longer distances. Paulina Pinera, 33, flew to England from Zacatecas, Mexico, on the day Osbourne died."I had planned to come here, but not in this situation. I didn't expect him to pass away on the day I flew over here," she said.A big metal fan since she was a child, Ms Pinera previously saw the band perform in Mexico in 2013 and 2018."My father used to listen to his records every day so I became a huge fan when I was a little girl," she said she wanted to visit the bridge to pay her respects after she was unable to attend Sabbath's farewell gig at Villa Park, close to Osbourne's childhood home in singer, who had Parkinson's Disease, died just days after the performance during which he had sung while seated on a black throne."He's an idol," Ms Pinera said. Emma Wilkes, 24, from Oxford, also visited the tribute scene at the weekend, and said: "As sad as it has been that this has happened, it's also been very much a moment of unity for people."She said other bands "wouldn't have been here" without Black Sabbath."For us in the heavy metal community, it's almost a little bit like when the Queen died," she told the BBC."[Ozzy was someone] we always thought was kind of going to be constant, somebody you could always kind of imagine living forever, even though that's not really true," she said."Every band that has come since, has come from them. It's very much like standing on the shoulders of giants." David Quant, 63, from Wolverhampton, attended the farewell Back to the Beginning concert at Villa Park."There wasn't a dry eye in the house when he sang Mama, I'm Coming Home," he recalled tearfully. "That tune was the last tune he will ever do."To see Osbourne perform at what was his final show had been a "dream come true", he he stated, had been the "founder" and "godfather" of the metal scene. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Glasgow Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
‘Lost the best friend I ever had': Kelly Osbourne pays tribute to Ozzy
The rock legend was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2019 and died at the age of 76 on Tuesday morning, surrounded by his family. In a heartfelt message posted to her Instagram stories on Thursday, Kelly shared lyrics from the Black Sabbath song Changes, a track she famously re-recorded with her father. Floral tributes are left on the Black Sabbath Bridge bench on Broad Street in Birmingham, following the death of Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne, aged 76 (Jacob King/PA) 'I feel unhappy I am so sad. I lost the best friend I ever had,' she wrote next to an emoji of a broken heart. Released in 2003, their reimagined duet hit number one on the UK Singles chart. The duo became only the second father-daughter act to top the chart, following Nancy and Frank Sinatra in 1967. Osbourne's death came a few weeks after he reunited with his Black Sabbath bandmates on July 5 to play a farewell gig at Villa Park – a stone's throw from where the band was formed in 1968. After the live performance, Osbourne and his wife Sharon celebrated Kelly's engagement with her long-term partner Sid Wilson, a member of the heavy metal band Slipknot. The day after the gig, Kelly thanked her father's fans for attending his last live performance. She wrote on Instagram: 'To say that yesterday was magic was an understatement! 'Thank you to everyone who came to support my dad. Thank you to the fans who without we are nothing! 'My dad got his moment in the sun! He was able to say thank you and good bye in the most beautiful way!' Tributes to Osbourne were led by his Black Sabbath bandmates, including Terence 'Geezer' Butler, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward, along with celebrity friends including Kiss star Gene Simmons and Queen guitarist Sir Brian May. Ozzy Osbourne performs on stage during the Closing Ceremony for the 2022 Commonwealth Games at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham (David Davies/PA) Earlier on Thursday, Status Quo frontman Francis Rossi spoke on ITV's Good Morning Britain and described Osbourne as 'wild'. He said: 'He was a great young guy. And then obviously, American success got to him, I think. And it gets to a lot of us. You get carried away with all that stuff that one shouldn't. I did and I'm over it.' Osbourne was also described by the Lord mayor of Birmingham, Zafar Iqbal, as a 'proud Brummie' who helped put the city 'on the world map'. Mr Iqbal met the founding members of the heavy metal band, formed in the city in 1968, when they were presented with the freedom of Birmingham in June. He told the PA news agency: 'He (Osbourne) was very important and he was a proud Brummie. He loved the city. He will be much missed, I think, and he was loved by so many people in the city.' Other stars have also honoured the 'Prince of Darkness' by paying tribute to him during live concert performances, including Lady Gaga, Coldplay and Alice Cooper, who praised him for performing until he 'couldn't do it any more'.
Western Telegraph
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Western Telegraph
‘Lost the best friend I ever had': Kelly Osbourne pays tribute to Ozzy
The rock legend was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2019 and died at the age of 76 on Tuesday morning, surrounded by his family. In a heartfelt message posted to her Instagram stories on Thursday, Kelly shared lyrics from the Black Sabbath song Changes, a track she famously re-recorded with her father. Floral tributes are left on the Black Sabbath Bridge bench on Broad Street in Birmingham, following the death of Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne, aged 76 (Jacob King/PA) 'I feel unhappy I am so sad. I lost the best friend I ever had,' she wrote next to an emoji of a broken heart. Released in 2003, their reimagined duet hit number one on the UK Singles chart. The duo became only the second father-daughter act to top the chart, following Nancy and Frank Sinatra in 1967. Osbourne's death came a few weeks after he reunited with his Black Sabbath bandmates on July 5 to play a farewell gig at Villa Park – a stone's throw from where the band was formed in 1968. After the live performance, Osbourne and his wife Sharon celebrated Kelly's engagement with her long-term partner Sid Wilson, a member of the heavy metal band Slipknot. The day after the gig, Kelly thanked her father's fans for attending his last live performance. She wrote on Instagram: 'To say that yesterday was magic was an understatement! 'Thank you to everyone who came to support my dad. Thank you to the fans who without we are nothing! 'My dad got his moment in the sun! He was able to say thank you and good bye in the most beautiful way!' Tributes to Osbourne were led by his Black Sabbath bandmates, including Terence 'Geezer' Butler, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward, along with celebrity friends including Kiss star Gene Simmons and Queen guitarist Sir Brian May. Ozzy Osbourne performs on stage during the Closing Ceremony for the 2022 Commonwealth Games at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham (David Davies/PA) Earlier on Thursday, Status Quo frontman Francis Rossi spoke on ITV's Good Morning Britain and described Osbourne as 'wild'. He said: 'He was a great young guy. And then obviously, American success got to him, I think. And it gets to a lot of us. You get carried away with all that stuff that one shouldn't. I did and I'm over it.' Osbourne was also described by the Lord mayor of Birmingham, Zafar Iqbal, as a 'proud Brummie' who helped put the city 'on the world map'. Mr Iqbal met the founding members of the heavy metal band, formed in the city in 1968, when they were presented with the freedom of Birmingham in June. He told the PA news agency: 'He (Osbourne) was very important and he was a proud Brummie. He loved the city. He will be much missed, I think, and he was loved by so many people in the city.' Other stars have also honoured the 'Prince of Darkness' by paying tribute to him during live concert performances, including Lady Gaga, Coldplay and Alice Cooper, who praised him for performing until he 'couldn't do it any more'.
The Herald Scotland
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
‘Lost the best friend I ever had': Kelly Osbourne pays tribute to Ozzy
In a heartfelt message posted to her Instagram stories on Thursday, Kelly shared lyrics from the Black Sabbath song Changes, a track she famously re-recorded with her father. Floral tributes are left on the Black Sabbath Bridge bench on Broad Street in Birmingham, following the death of Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne, aged 76 (Jacob King/PA) 'I feel unhappy I am so sad. I lost the best friend I ever had,' she wrote next to an emoji of a broken heart. Released in 2003, their reimagined duet hit number one on the UK Singles chart. The duo became only the second father-daughter act to top the chart, following Nancy and Frank Sinatra in 1967. Osbourne's death came a few weeks after he reunited with his Black Sabbath bandmates on July 5 to play a farewell gig at Villa Park – a stone's throw from where the band was formed in 1968. After the live performance, Osbourne and his wife Sharon celebrated Kelly's engagement with her long-term partner Sid Wilson, a member of the heavy metal band Slipknot. The day after the gig, Kelly thanked her father's fans for attending his last live performance. She wrote on Instagram: 'To say that yesterday was magic was an understatement! 'Thank you to everyone who came to support my dad. Thank you to the fans who without we are nothing! 'My dad got his moment in the sun! He was able to say thank you and good bye in the most beautiful way!' Tributes to Osbourne were led by his Black Sabbath bandmates, including Terence 'Geezer' Butler, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward, along with celebrity friends including Kiss star Gene Simmons and Queen guitarist Sir Brian May. Ozzy Osbourne performs on stage during the Closing Ceremony for the 2022 Commonwealth Games at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham (David Davies/PA) Earlier on Thursday, Status Quo frontman Francis Rossi spoke on ITV's Good Morning Britain and described Osbourne as 'wild'. He said: 'He was a great young guy. And then obviously, American success got to him, I think. And it gets to a lot of us. You get carried away with all that stuff that one shouldn't. I did and I'm over it.' Osbourne was also described by the Lord mayor of Birmingham, Zafar Iqbal, as a 'proud Brummie' who helped put the city 'on the world map'. Mr Iqbal met the founding members of the heavy metal band, formed in the city in 1968, when they were presented with the freedom of Birmingham in June. He told the PA news agency: 'He (Osbourne) was very important and he was a proud Brummie. He loved the city. He will be much missed, I think, and he was loved by so many people in the city.' Other stars have also honoured the 'Prince of Darkness' by paying tribute to him during live concert performances, including Lady Gaga, Coldplay and Alice Cooper, who praised him for performing until he 'couldn't do it any more'.
The Irish Sun
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Ozzy Osbourne's funeral details revealed with huge stars including musician he loved paying tribute
FANS paid tribute to Ozzy Osbourne at Black Sabbath landmarks in his home city yesterday — as stars prepared to celebrate his life. Flowers were left and vigils held at Birmingham's Black Sabbath Bridge and Bench, as well as at a mural honouring the heavy metal giants. Advertisement 7 Ozzy Osbourne's death aged 76 drew condolences from a host of stars Credit: Handout 7 Tributes placed at the Birmingham bridge and bench dedicated to Ozzy's band Black Sabbath Credit: EPA 7 Ozzy's star on the Walk of Fame Credit: AFP And yesterday friends said many big names wanted to salute the bat-munching, self-proclaimed Prince of Darkness, who became a national treasure. Such a service would be held ahead of a smaller private funeral. Advertisement Read more on Ozzy Osbourne Thames Valley Air Ambulance confirmed Sharon — married for 43 years — said in a joint statement that he had been 'surrounded by love'. A source told The Sun: 'There are conversations about a celebration of his life in Birmingham, the city that meant so much to him. 'Artists like Yungblud, who was seen by Ozzy as a musician who could carry on the mantle of what he started all those years ago, is expected to have a role in it. Advertisement Most read in Celebrity 'There are hundreds of big names who will want to pay their respects and celebrate his life and legacy, as well as thousands of fans who would line the streets to say goodbye.' At one shrine, 70-year-old Gary Holbrooke hailed Ozzy as 'a local lad who done good'. Inside Ozzy Osbourne's final days after historic last show 'took huge toll' on his health Jake Brookes, 28, who was at this month's 'There was not a dry eye at Villa Park. And for him to do it at home meant the world to him, meant the world to fans, and it was a mutual thank you and respect.' Advertisement Before the 'I couldn't have done 7 A bat tribute at a makeshift shrine near a pub where Ozzy played Credit: Getty Advertisement 7 An Ozzy fan shows his tattoo in tribute to the rocker Credit: SWNS The concert raised £140million for charities including Birmingham's Acorns Children's Hospice, Birmingham Children's Hospital, and Cure Parkinson's. Last night Trevor Johnson, chief exec of Acorns, said the concert 'showed what he was about'. He added: 'It showed the impact that he's had right across the world from here in the West Midlands and I think it was a fitting end to an extraordinary life.' Advertisement A book of condolences is being opened at Villa Park. Chief operations officer Ben Hatton, who worked with Ozzy and his family on the show, said: 'Eighteen days ago we all witnessed an historic night at Villa Park. 'And to think we won't see them again, we won't see him again, is heartbreaking.' More on Ozzy Osbourne... 'If it's end of the road, I can't complain' How Ozzy Osbourne Emotional moment Ozzy Osbourne's The rocker's Osbourne From bat-biting antics & drug battles to rollercoaster reality show – how Ozzy truly earned title of Who is Who is How On tours in the US, Lady Gaga put on an Ozzy T-shirt and played his 1980 debut solo song Crazy Train, while Coldplay honoured him by performing Black Sabbath's 1972 hit Changes. Advertisement Ozzy, who sold 100 million records worldwide over six decades, gained a new following with US reality show The Osbournes, which ran from 2002 to 2005. The Sun understands a BBC series following Ozzy and Sharon is still expected to air. 'DON'T BE SAD' OZZY previously revealed he did not want his funeral to be sad. He said in a 2011 interview: '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.' Ozzy claimed to not care what was played, even 'a medley of Justin Bieber, Susan Boyle and We Are the Diddymen if it makes them happy'. But in 2016 he said he wanted The Beatles' A Day In The Life, as they inspired him to become a musician. Coming Home To Roost was planned as a ten-part series. Advertisement A source said: 'Discussions are ongoing. 'It seems more than likely that the rushes will be turned into a one-off film. 'The team think it could be something incredibly special.' A Advertisement 7 Tributes are left at a mural in Birmingham Credit: PA 7 Archie Gammon, aged two, leaves flowers Credit: PA When the film was announced in February, Sharon said of the documentary: 'It shows how hard things have been for him and the courage he has shown while dealing with a number of serious health issues. 'It's about the reality of his life now. Advertisement 'We hope that story will inspire people that are facing similar issues to Ozzy.' When "Largely because we got to regularly witness Ozzy's indomitable spirit, his mischievous, irresistible grin and his masterful display of unique one-liners.' A biopic about Ozzy's life is also in the works — with Sony in line to create the blockbuster for screening in 2027. Advertisement Speaking about the project on July 4, 'We are not pulling any punches, we are really laying it all out. 'The director we have is absolutely phenomenal. 'The film is in good hands.' Advertisement ALAMO REMEMBER OFFICIALS for a Texan war memorial which Ozzy drunkenly urinated on in 1982 have paid an unlikely tribute to the rocker. The star was jailed after the incident at the Alamo Cenotaph Monument and was banned from performing in San Antonio for a decade. He returned with son Jack in 2015. Officials posted: 'We acknowledge Ozzy's journey from regret to reconciliation.' Animal welfare charity Peta also posted a tribute to the 'gentle' singer who famously bit the head off a bat.
