Latest news with #Jaguar
Daily Record
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Ozzy Osbourne fans break barriers at funeral procession as thousands mourn star
Ozzy Osbourne is being laid to rest tomorrow following his heartbreaking send off in his beloved home city Birmingham as fans gathered to pay their respects Ozzy Osbourne's grieving fans flooded the streets of Birmingham today in a powerful final tribute to the Black Sabbath frontman, breaking through barriers in a desperate bit to honour their rock icon. The 76-year-old father of six died last Tuesday, and today's public procession gave followers one last chance to say goodbye before the star's private funeral tomorrow. It comes as Ozzy's devastated family broke down amid the heartbreaking amount of flowers and tributes left for the Prince of Darkness. After widow Sharon and her children, Jack, Aimee and Kelly got back into their cars to follow the hearse, fans broke through the barriers to get closer to the action, the Mirror reports. In a touching scene, some shot through the metal barriers police had set up for crowd control, lifting them and hurrying onto the street to the Black Sabbath Bridge to pay their respects and lay down more flowers and tributes for the star. While security was on hand, they allowed the crowds to mourn in their own way, recognising the day's significance. It had been a celebration rather than sadness for fans as they gathered to say their final goodbye to Ozzy. As the hearse carrying the legendary singer made its way through his beloved hometown, thousands lined Broad Street, chanting "Ozzy, Ozzy, Ozzy." Showing support to the Osbourne family fans shouted "We love Ozzy" and "We love the Osbournes." Sharon, Kelly, Jack and Aimee were all dressed in black for the occasion. Sharon and Kelly were seen in tears, visibly moved by the sheer volume of tributes and the overwhelming support from the public. Ozzy died age 76 on Tuesday, July 22, with his private funeral taking place just over a week later. His famous family wanted to give the fans an opportunity to pay their respects to the Crazy Train singer. The hearse, a black Jaguar, began its journey at Ozzy's childhood home on Lodge Road in Aston at around 12:45 pm on its route into Birmingham city centre. Flowers adorned the front of the terraced house, and a photo of the rock star was placed in the bay window by the current owners. A small group of local residents gathered outside, including the home's current occupant, watching quietly as the procession began. The hearse and six Mercedes funeral cars were accompanied by police motorcycle riders and a police car as it drove slowly along the streets of Birmingham. The procession then passed the Black Sabbath Bridge and bench, where floral tributes had been laid out over the past week for the rock legend. Proceedings started at 1pm, with Broad Street closed to traffic from 7am this morning. Sharon was covering the costs of the procession, as the council helped with the road closure. "Desperate to come home" in his final years after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, Ozzy had returned to the UK before his death. The announcement of his passing included a poignant location stamp: "Birmingham, England, July 22, 2025" - a quiet but powerful confirmation that he had indeed made it back home, one last time.
Powys County Times
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Powys County Times
Sharon Osbourne emotional as family look at Ozzy Osbourne tributes in Birmingham
Sharon Osbourne was visibly emotional as fans shouted 'Ozzy Ozzy Ozzy' during a procession through the streets of Birmingham in honour of the heavy metal star. Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy, who played a farewell gig in the city earlier this month, died at the age of 76 last Tuesday. His wife, former X Factor judge Sharon, 72, could be seen hugging the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Zafar Iqbal, after she arrived at the Black Sabbath bench where floral tributes have been laid. She was helped out of the first vehicle in the cortege by her and Ozzy's son Jack, who joined her at the event along with their daughters Aimee and Kelly – who all raised their hands in a peace sign while paying their respects. Sharon and the couple's children could be seen wiping away tears at the bench as they inspected tributes, with members of the crowd shouting 'we love you Ozzy'. Each family member carried a pink rose, wrapped in black paper tied with a purple ribbon, that they laid on top of the many other floral tributes that sat next to a poster of the star, which said: 'Birmingham will always love you'. Sharon kissed the flower she was holding before laying it in the middle of the tributes. The hearse carrying Ozzy's coffin passed the star's childhood home in Lodge Road, Aston, at about 12.45pm on Wednesday on its route into Birmingham city centre. Flowers have been placed outside the terraced property, close to Villa Park, while the owners of the house have put up a picture of Osbourne in the front bay window. The Jaguar hearse and six Mercedes funeral cars, accompanied by police motorcycle riders and a police car, drove slowly along the street on Lodge Road, watched by a handful of fans and the current owner of the house. The hearse, adorned with purple flowers spelling out 'Ozzy', then made its way down Broad Street before stopping at the Black Sabbath bench, where thousands of tributes, balloons and flowers have been left. Musicians from Bostin Brass played Black Sabbath songs to accompany the cortege, and fans threw flowers at the hearse while it slowly passed through the city. Fans also left tributes outside a mural on Navigation Street, which was created ahead of the Back to the Beginning concert at Villa Park, which took place a few weeks ago. One Osbourne fan, called Goose, told the PA news agency that Osbourne 'was a family member' and said they discovered heavy metal as a teenager. 'That's when I found, like millions of people around the world, that there was music that was for us, something that understood us,' they said. 'We knew that there was somebody out there that felt the way that we did and it was a constant presence. 'Ozzy helped give that to the world. He was a family member. He felt like a family member to so many people and he touched so many people's lives.' Evie Mayo, from Wolverhampton, said the heavy metal star had inspired her and everyone in Birmingham. She told PA: 'I think he was so influential, he was such an inspirational person. I think he really impacted everyone here, especially in Birmingham as well. 'Now that he's not here any more, you can feel the impact of it. He inspired a lot of people and he was a great person.' She added: 'He inspired me by… I love his music, absolutely love his music. I'm learning guitar so that I can learn some of his songs.' Osbourne and his Black Sabbath bandmates – Terence 'Geezer' Butler, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward – were recently given the freedom of the city of Birmingham, which recognises people's exceptional service to the city. The group, which formed in 1968, is widely credited with defining and popularising the sound of heavy metal. Osbourne, who also had a successful solo career, found a new legion of fans when he appeared in the 2000s reality TV series The Osbournes, starring alongside his wife Sharon and two youngest children, Kelly and Jack. The music star, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2019, performed his last gig on July 5 in a concert that also saw performances from the likes of Anthrax, Metallica and Guns N' Roses. Osbourne died just over two weeks after Black Sabbath were reunited barely two miles from where they first played together more than 50 years ago.
South Wales Guardian
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- South Wales Guardian
Sharon Osbourne emotional as family look at Ozzy Osbourne tributes in Birmingham
Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy, who played a farewell gig in the city earlier this month, died at the age of 76 last Tuesday. His wife, former X Factor judge Sharon, 72, could be seen hugging the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Zafar Iqbal, after she arrived at the Black Sabbath bench where floral tributes have been laid. She was helped out of the first vehicle in the cortege by her and Ozzy's son Jack, who joined her at the event along with their daughters Aimee and Kelly – who all raised their hands in a peace sign while paying their respects. Sharon and the couple's children could be seen wiping away tears at the bench as they inspected tributes, with members of the crowd shouting 'we love you Ozzy'. Each family member carried a pink rose, wrapped in black paper tied with a purple ribbon, that they laid on top of the many other floral tributes that sat next to a poster of the star, which said: 'Birmingham will always love you'. Sharon kissed the flower she was holding before laying it in the middle of the tributes. The hearse carrying Ozzy's coffin passed the star's childhood home in Lodge Road, Aston, at about 12.45pm on Wednesday on its route into Birmingham city centre. Flowers have been placed outside the terraced property, close to Villa Park, while the owners of the house have put up a picture of Osbourne in the front bay window. The Jaguar hearse and six Mercedes funeral cars, accompanied by police motorcycle riders and a police car, drove slowly along the street on Lodge Road, watched by a handful of fans and the current owner of the house. The hearse, adorned with purple flowers spelling out 'Ozzy', then made its way down Broad Street before stopping at the Black Sabbath bench, where thousands of tributes, balloons and flowers have been left. Musicians from Bostin Brass played Black Sabbath songs to accompany the cortege, and fans threw flowers at the hearse while it slowly passed through the city. Fans also left tributes outside a mural on Navigation Street, which was created ahead of the Back to the Beginning concert at Villa Park, which took place a few weeks ago. One Osbourne fan, called Goose, told the PA news agency that Osbourne 'was a family member' and said they discovered heavy metal as a teenager. 'That's when I found, like millions of people around the world, that there was music that was for us, something that understood us,' they said. 'We knew that there was somebody out there that felt the way that we did and it was a constant presence. 'Ozzy helped give that to the world. He was a family member. He felt like a family member to so many people and he touched so many people's lives.' Evie Mayo, from Wolverhampton, said the heavy metal star had inspired her and everyone in Birmingham. She told PA: 'I think he was so influential, he was such an inspirational person. I think he really impacted everyone here, especially in Birmingham as well. 'Now that he's not here any more, you can feel the impact of it. He inspired a lot of people and he was a great person.' She added: 'He inspired me by… I love his music, absolutely love his music. I'm learning guitar so that I can learn some of his songs.' Osbourne and his Black Sabbath bandmates – Terence 'Geezer' Butler, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward – were recently given the freedom of the city of Birmingham, which recognises people's exceptional service to the city. The group, which formed in 1968, is widely credited with defining and popularising the sound of heavy metal. Osbourne, who also had a successful solo career, found a new legion of fans when he appeared in the 2000s reality TV series The Osbournes, starring alongside his wife Sharon and two youngest children, Kelly and Jack. The music star, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2019, performed his last gig on July 5 in a concert that also saw performances from the likes of Anthrax, Metallica and Guns N' Roses. Osbourne died just over two weeks after Black Sabbath were reunited barely two miles from where they first played together more than 50 years ago.
Int'l Business Times
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Int'l Business Times
Thousands Honour Ozzy Osbourne At UK Hometown Funeral Procession
Thousands lined the streets of UK city Birmingham on Wednesday to pay an emotional farewell to hometown hero Ozzy Osbourne as the heavy metal hellraiser was laid to rest. Black Sabbath frontman Osbourne, who earned the nicknamed the "Prince of Darkness" and once bit a bat while on stage, died on July 22 at the age of 76. He had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2019 and died 17 days after playing a final gig to a sold-out crowd in Birmingham. Osbourne's funeral procession set off at around 1200 GMT on a route planned with the rocker's family through the English city. Chants of "Ozzy! Ozzy! Ozzy!" could be heard, with one fan crying out "we love you Ozzy!" as his coffin -- sitting in a stately black Jaguar hearse topped with flower arrangements -- and other vehicles crawled by. The procession, which earlier passed the star's childhood home in the city's Aston area, was accompanied by a live brass band performance by local musicians from Bostin' Brass. Fan Reece Sargeant came with friends to say goodbye. "I think it was important to come and pay our respects.... Ozzy and Black Sabbath really put Birmingham on the map," he said. The 16-year-old told AFP the band's last concert had been "out of this world". Osbourne famously once said he wanted his funeral to be a celebration of his life and not a "mope-fest". The procession paused at the Black Sabbath bench -- an art installation featuring headshots of each member on a bridge also named after the band. Visibly emotional family members including his widow Sharon Osbourne laid flowers at the bench and read some of the written tributes that have been left there along with balloons and flowers. Thousands of fans have gathered at the bridge in recent days, mourning the death of the musician who was instrumental in pioneering heavy metal. The cortege, led by police motorbikes, then continued its slow journey towards a private funeral service. "Ozzy was more than a music legend - he was a son of Birmingham," Zafar Iqbal, the lord mayor of the central English city, said in a statement. "It was important to the city that we support a fitting, dignified tribute ahead of a private family funeral. "We're proud to host it here with his loving family in the place where it all began," Iqbal, who could be seen hugging family members when the procession stopped in central Birmingham, added. Black Sabbath enjoyed huge commercial success in the 1970s and 80s after forming in Birmingham in 1968. Their eponymous 1970 debut album made the UK top 10 and paved the way for a string of hit records, including their most famous song "Paranoid". The group went on to sell more than 75 million albums worldwide and were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. Osbourne was added for a second time last year as a solo artist. Osbourne gained notoriety for his outlandish stunts, many fuelled by his legendary indulgence in drugs and alcohol. In 1989, he was arrested for drunkenly trying to strangle his wife Sharon, which he once mentioned in a 2007 interview. His live performances at the height of his hedonism have gone down in rock folklore, particularly the 1982 gig in the US city of Des Moines when he bit a bat on stage. Osbourne said he thought a fan had thrown a rubber bat onstage, and it was not until he took a bite that he realised it was real. Family members including widow Sharon Osbourne laid flowers and read fans' tributes AFP The hearse travelled over Black Sabbath bridge where thousands of fans have left tributes since the heavy metal legend died on July 22 AFP The group sold more than 75 million albums and were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2006 AFP
Irish Independent
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Sharon Osbourne emotional as family pay respect to Ozzy Osbourne tributes in Birmingham
Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy, who played a farewell gig in the city earlier this month, died at the age of 76 last Tuesday. His wife, former X Factor judge Sharon, 72, could be seen hugging the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Zafar Iqbal, after she arrived at the Black Sabbath bench where floral tributes have been laid. She was helped out of the first vehicle in the cortege by her and Ozzy's son Jack, who joined her at the event along with their daughters Aimee and Kelly - who all raised their hands in a peace sign while paying their respects. Sharon and the couple's children could be seen wiping away tears at the bench as they inspected tributes, with members of the crowd shouting "we love you Ozzy". Each family member carried a pink rose, wrapped in black paper tied with a purple ribbon, that they laid on top of the many other floral tributes that sat next to a poster of the star, which said: "Birmingham will always love you". Sharon kissed the flower she was holding before laying it in the middle of the tributes. The hearse carrying Ozzy's coffin passed the star's childhood home in Lodge Road, Aston, at about 12.45pm on Wednesday on its route into Birmingham city centre. Flowers have been placed outside the terraced property, close to Villa Park, while the owners of the house have put up a picture of Osbourne in the front bay window. The Jaguar hearse and six Mercedes funeral cars, accompanied by police motorcycle riders and a police car, drove slowly along the street on Lodge Road, watched by a handful of fans and the current owner of the house. The hearse, adorned with purple flowers spelling out "Ozzy", then made its way down Broad Street before stopping at the Black Sabbath bench, where thousands of tributes, balloons and flowers have been left. ADVERTISEMENT Musicians from Bostin Brass played Black Sabbath songs to accompany the cortege, and fans threw flowers at the hearse while it slowly passed through the city. Fans also left tributes outside a mural on Navigation Street, which was created ahead of the Back to the Beginning concert at Villa Park, which took place a few weeks ago. One Osbourne fan, called Goose, told the PA news agency that Osbourne "was a family member" and said they discovered heavy metal as a teenager. "That's when I found, like millions of people around the world, that there was music that was for us, something that understood us," they said. "We knew that there was somebody out there that felt the way that we did and it was a constant presence. "Ozzy helped give that to the world. He was a family member. He felt like a family member to so many people and he touched so many people's lives." Evie Mayo, from Wolverhampton, said the heavy metal star had inspired her and everyone in Birmingham. She told PA: "I think he was so influential, he was such an inspirational person. I think he really impacted everyone here, especially in Birmingham as well. "Now that he's not here any more, you can feel the impact of it. He inspired a lot of people and he was a great person." She added: "He inspired me by... I love his music, absolutely love his music. I'm learning guitar so that I can learn some of his songs." Osbourne and his Black Sabbath bandmates - Terence "Geezer" Butler, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward - were recently given the freedom of the city of Birmingham, which recognises people's exceptional service to the city. The group, which formed in 1968, is widely credited with defining and popularising the sound of heavy metal. Osbourne, who also had a successful solo career, found a new legion of fans when he appeared in the 2000s reality TV series The Osbournes, starring alongside his wife Sharon and two youngest children, Kelly and Jack. The music star, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2019, performed his last gig on July 5 in a concert that also saw performances from the likes of Anthrax, Metallica and Guns N' Roses. Osbourne died just over two weeks after Black Sabbath were reunited barely two miles from where they first played together more than 50 years ago.
