Latest news with #FreedomofBirmingham
BBC News
06-02-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
World's eyes on Birmingham for Black Sabbath homecoming gig
Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath's choice to play a final reunion gig in Birmingham has been described as a "homecoming" that recognises the city's status in music music icons will headline a one-day festival at Villa Park on 5 July dubbed "the greatest heavy metal show ever".The charity fundraiser will also feature dozens of other heavy metal legends, including Metallica, Pantera and Anthrax."It feels like the acknowledgement that this city's important," said local writer Kirsty Bosley. "We deserve this moment, and it deserves to be us." The performance will mark the first time Black Sabbath's original line-up has played together in 20 years. Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward all grew up within a few streets of each other a stone's throw from the Aston stadium."It's a great honour," Iommi said. "It'll be really a homecoming."It was the only choice; it could only have been done here, nowhere else," Sharon Osbourne told BBC Radio WM."This is the home of metal. It started down the road with Sabbath. Ozzy's house is less than a mile away." The Back To The Beginning show would definitely be 76-year-old Osbourne's last, his wife singer has Parkinson's disease and proceeds from the concert will be going to the Cure Parkinson's charity, as well as local organisations Birmingham Children's Hospital and Acorn Children's Hospice. Ms Bosley admitted she cried when she heard the concert announced."I've been going to heavy metal gigs in Brum for more than 20 years, and I felt like finally it's our time to host this amazing best-ever gig," she said."Metallica are arguably the biggest heavy metal band in the world, and I can't imagine for anyone else they would be a supporting act." Osbourne and his bandmates' relevance to the city's cultural heritage was recently recognised with them being awarded the Freedom of Birmingham. In 2023, a public vote saw the large mechanical bull used in the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony named Ozzy, and a bridge over Birmingham Canal has also been renamed Black Sabbath Bridge. Darren John, who has campaigned to save the Birmingham street where Black Sabbath performed their first gig at The Crown pub, predicted an influx to the city in July."You're talking about hundreds of thousands of people making a pilgrimage to Birmingham that weekend to see places like Ozzy's house or The Crown," he said."People will be flying in from all over the world for this," agreed Jez Collins from Birmingham Music Archive."The prodigal sons are returning to their physical, spiritual home of Aston Villa Park for what is undoubtedly one of, if not the greatest rock heavy-metal line-up I have seen."The world's eyes will be on our city." Black Sabbath fan and musician Andy Edwards, from Kidderminster, remembered "a tear in his eye" when he watched Osbourne last perform, during the closing ceremony for the Commonwealth Games in described news of the farewell gig as "incredible for music"."They started it and they're going to finish it," he said. "There's something about Black Sabbath that I think represents the Midlands so well."They're not artsy-fartsy but they're very creative, and I think that's what we are up here in the Midlands." Matt Lewis from Coventry recalled meeting Osbourne a decade ago when asked to provide a balloon drop for a overheard a conversation in which Sharon was trying to convince Ozzy to have millions of bubbles blown across the stage."Ozzy just turned around and said to Sharon, 'Sharon, I'm the Prince of Darkness, I don't do bubbles.'"Mr Lewis went on to manage balloon drops during The End tour, which culminated at Birmingham's NEC in a show in Dublin, Sharon demanded the number of balloons be increased from 200 to 1,000 for London and Birmingham."[It] was just spectacular," he said. "There was a blind panic to try and find 5,000 three-footers overnight, and we got them." Huge demand is predicted when tickets go on sale from 10:00 GMT on 14 February. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
The Guardian
28-01-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Ozzy Osbourne ‘very proud' as Birmingham to honour Black Sabbath
Being awarded the Freedom of Birmingham 'means a lot' to Ozzy Osbourne and the members of Black Sabbath, Sharon Osbourne has said, as the city council is prepares to approve the honour. Ozzy, alongside the founding band members, Tony Iommi, Terence Butler and Bill Ward, will be given the honorary title in recognition of their service to the city, with councillors expected to give the go ahead on Tuesday. The council is also set to approve the posthumous award of the City of Birmingham Medal to the late poet, Benjamin Zephaniah, for his 'unique and distinguished contribution' to the field of literature and for his charitable and community work. Sharon Osbourne said her husband was 'very proud' to receive the honour. 'It means a lot to him, it really does, to be recognised from his home. He's very excited,' she told BBC Radio West Midlands. 'He couldn't quite believe it, he thought I was winding him up. He said: 'Really, me? But I've been in prison!'.' In a statement, Ozzy Osbourne said he was 'honoured and shocked' to receive the honour. 'I'm a proud Brummie from Aston through and through. I'm still amazed to this day that no one outside of Birmingham can understand a word I say, but that's always made me laugh,' he said. 'My only regret is that my mom and dad are not here to see what I became. Birmingham for ever!' Black Sabbath, which have sold more than 75m albums worldwide, were formed in 1968 in Aston, Birmingham and are considered one of the most successful heavy metal bands of all time. The band have a bench in their honour in the centre of Birmingham. A large mechanical bull from 2022 Commonwealth Games, on display in New Street station, was named Ozzy after a public vote. Sharon added her husband was 'dying to come home' from the US and live in Birmingham, but health setbacks meant that plans to do so had fallen through. 'He really, really wants to come home and that's what been a bit tough, because each time he's made arrangements to come, something happens,' she said. 'We're not home here. It's not where we're from, it's not what we are. People here have been fantastic to Ozzy, but it's not his home.' She said they were donating Ozzy's awards and platinum discs to a museum in Birmingham: 'It belongs in Birmingham, it needs to stay in Birmingham,' she said. 'He owes so much to Birmingham, it's his blood, that's who he is.. If he'd have been was born anywhere else, he wouldn't be the story that it is today, so he totally embraces his history and what Birmingham means to him.' The Crown pub, where Black Sabbath played their first gig, was given listed status last year after falling into disrepair in recent years, and there have been calls for a permanent museum commemorating heavy metal music in the region.
BBC News
28-01-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Black Sabbath honour 'means a lot' to Ozzy Osbourne
Sharon Osbourne has welcomed news her husband Ozzy Osbourne and his Black Sabbath bandmates are set to receive the Freedom of Birmingham. Speaking to BBC Radio WM, the TV personality and former X Factor judge said her husband was very excited and "it means a lot to him to be recognised [by] his home".Later on Tuesday, Birmingham City Council will discuss a proposal to award City Freeman status to the four founding members of the band, which formed in Aston in Osbourne said: "He couldn't be happier right now, it's come at a great time for him." Black Sabbath was founded by singer Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Terence "Geezer" Butler and drummer Bill band were one of the pioneers of the heavy metal genre and are seen as a core part of Birmingham's cultural heritage. In July 2023, a large mechanical bull named after Osbourne was unveiled in New Street Station. Speaking about what Birmingham meant to her husband, Mrs Osbourne said: "It's who Ozzy is, he's never ever been one of these people who when you get fame you try and pretend to be something you're not. He's just Ozzy from Brum. "That's what he is and he's never tried to be anything else. "He owes so much to Birmingham, it's his blood, that's who he is."Despite the pair living in America for many years, Mrs Osbourne said that Ozzy still saw Birmingham as his home, and that people would be seeing him in the city at some point."He's dying to come home," she said. "And that's what's been a bit tough."Each time we make arrangements to come, something happens that he can't do it, and he's desperate to come home."Mrs Osbourne said the accolade came at a good time for Ozzy, after a "really tough" six years with his health."It seems like a dream sometimes," she said. "It changes everything, your life changes in a second and what was has gone and you just have to live in the moment." Jim Simpson, the first manager of Black Sabbath, also welcomed the news. The 87-year-old still works full time as the founder of record label Big Bear Records. He looked after the band when they changed their name from Earth, and once campaigned to have Birmingham Airport renamed after Osbourne. "The impact of Sabbath is worldwide, it's not just on this city," he explained. "They single-handedly invented a style of heavy rock which in turn has inspired eight or 10 or 12 other forms of heavy rock. Not many bands can claim to do that. "Ask yourself who is the most famous Brummie of all time? I think it's Ozzy." The Freedom of the City is given by a local council to a person or military unit in recognition of their exceptional service to the city. For the honour to be awarded, a special meeting of the council needs to be held at which two-thirds of councillors agree. Trailblazing poet and Peaky Blinders actor Benjamin Zephaniah, who was born in Handsworth, is also being considered for the honour. The Handsworth-born poet was dyslexic and unable to read or write but went on to have a career that spanned poetry, literature, music and his death, tributes have included a city centre exhibition and a mural."He always saw himself as a son of Birmingham and he was passionate about promoting the city," his brother Tippa Naphtali said in a statement. Two separate reports recommending the honours for the artists will be discussed at the meeting. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
