Latest news with #PrinceOfDarkness
Daily Mail
08-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Man is charged with theft of flowers from Ozzy Osbourne's shrine in Birmingham city centre
A man has been charged after flowers left at a shrine honouring Ozzy Osbourne were allegedly stolen. The Black Sabbath frontman died on July 22 at age 76, and was laid to rest earlier this month on the grounds of his mansion in England. News of his death stunned the world of rock, with tributes pouring in from across the globe to honour the legendary 'Prince of Darkness'. In Birmingham, a shrine honouring the heavy metal icon saw mourners leaving balloons, cards and flowers at the city's Black Sabbath bench in Broad Street. However, West Midlands Police said they were alerted to a theft from the shrine and launched an investigation. A man was arrested on August 2 - days after Osbourne's funeral at his Buckingham country pile on July 31. On Friday, the force said Parviz Jafari, 45, had been charged with theft of flowers, and will be appearing before magistrates on September 3. Birmingham City Council gathered up tributes left at the Black Sabbath bench on Monday, which will be handed over to the Osbourne family. The family viewed the tributes last Wednesday during a procession in which the heavy metal star's body was carried through his home city a final time. The music legend died just weeks after he took to the stage for his Back To The Beginning Show. He was buried at his country home in Buckinghamshire. Marilyn Manson led the stars arriving at Osbourne's private funeral last month as the heavy metal icon was laid to rest. Ozzy's widow Sharon, 72, and their children were joined by heavy rock royalty at the send-off at the family's home near Gerrards Cross. Guests also included Manson's wife Lindsay Usich and Ozzy's lead guitarist Zakk Wylde. And in true Ozzy fashion, stars arrived in gothic and heavy metal attire, with Rob Zombie donning skulls on a black scarf while Manson wore a long black jacket. A huge floral tribute in the grounds of the mansion spells out an affectionate tribute to the heavy metal legend, with the words, 'OZZY F***ING OSBOURNE', on the banks of the Osbourne lake on the family's 250-acre country estate. A version of a floral 'Ozzy' tribute that featured at an earlier memorial procession was also placed atop a fountain. Grieving Sharon was supported by children Jack, Kelly and Aimee who laid floral tributes and made a peace sign as they gestured their gratitude to fans - while accompanied by Ozzy's son Louis from his first marriage to Thelma Riley. Speaking in 2011 about how he imagined his future send-off, the Black Sabbath legend said: 'I honestly don't care what they play at my funeral - they can put on a medley of Justin Bieber, Susan Boyle and 'We Are The Diddymen' if it makes 'em happy. But I do want to make sure it's a celebration, not a mope-fest.'
Daily Mail
08-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Ozzy Osbourne leans on wife Sharon in one of their last photos together as part of first glimpse at moving new documentary
One of the last images of Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne together has been released in a first look at an upcoming documentary on the singer's life. The Black Sabbath singer, famously known as the Prince of Darkness, died last month at the age of 76 - just weeks after performing his final concert. In the photo, the couple are seen smiling together on the couch in their home as part of the upcoming BBC One show Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home. Ozzy is dressed in a black T-shirt and sunglasses in the snap while a gold cross hangs around his neck. Sharon, donning a black long-sleeved top, breams at the camera while cradling the couple's Pomeranians. The BBC's upcoming documentary follows the Osbournes after they left Los Angeles to return home to England three years ago. Clare Sillery, BBC head of commissioning, documentaries, said: 'We are honoured to have had the opportunity to film with Ozzy and his family. 'The film captures an intimate glimpse into their journey as they prepare to return to the UK. 'It features family moments, humour, reflection and shows the enduring spirit that made Ozzy a global icon. 'We hope it brings comfort and joy to Ozzy's fans and viewers as they rememberand celebrate his extraordinary life.' It comes after Sharon revealed her husband's heartwarming final words about his fans after he said farewell to them with his last Black Sabbath concert. In an interview which took place just five days before his death, Sharon gushed about the concert, admitting it was a 'huge success'. She told Pollstar: 'It was the first time, I think, that anybody's gone into retirement and done it, where the show is streamed and it goes to charity. 'So it's the first time anybody has said goodnight like that, it's the perfect way, when you've had such a long career, to end it - I never wanted Ozzy to just disappear without some big event. The wife of the music legend also revealed how Ozzy was blown away by the support at the concert. She explained: 'He [Ozzy] turned around and he said to me that night, he said, 'I had no idea that so many people liked me'.' Ozzy took to the stage for his farewell concert at Villa Park stadium in his native Birmingham less than three weeks before his death - reuniting with his original Black Sabbath bandmates for the first time since 2005. The concert was to raise money for three charities: Cure Parkinson's, Birmingham Children's Hospital, and Acorns Children's Hospice. More than 42,000 fans packed into the venue for the Back To The Beginning show, during which he told the crowd in his final speech: 'You've no idea how I feel - thank you from the bottom of my heart.' A message on screen then read: 'Thank you for everything, you guys are f***ing amazing. Birmingham Forever,' before the sky lit up with fireworks. Ozzy had told of it being his last performance due to his health, having opened up about his battle with Parkinson's in 2020. The musician had undergone seven surgeries in the past five years, including a fourth spinal operation in 2023, and had been battling Parkinson's disease since 2003. Before his final show, Ozzy said he hoped to continue recording music after retiring from live performing, but he heartbreakingly died before he was able to do so. Ozzy's last solo album, 2022's Patient Number 9, featured a long list of guest artists, including hid Black Sabbath bandmate Tony Iommi, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Zakk Wylde, and Pearl Jam's Mike McCready, among others. Last month, huge crowds descended on Birmingham to pay tribute to the beloved Prince of Darkness at his funeral procession. The funeral cortege was led by a live brass band, Bostin' Brass, who performed versions of Black Sabbath songs such as Iron Man, as thousands of tearful devotees lined the streets and sang along in Ozzy's memory. The hearse carrying the singer's coffin - adorned with purple flowers spelling out 'Ozzy' - passed the star's childhood home in Lodge Road, Aston, shortly after midday. Flowers had been placed outside the terraced property, close to Villa Park, while the owners of the house put up a picture of Osbourne in the front bay window. Sharon led the procession with her children Jack, Aimee and Kelly and Ozzy's son Louis from his first marriage as they comforted each other amid their devastating grief. Thousands of people were pictured taking their places not only on Black Sabbath Bridge but along the city centre route along which his cortege travelled towards the Black Sabbath Bridge bench. Fans clapped and cheered chanting 'Ozzy, Ozzy, Ozzy' as the rock legend's hearse passed through the streets of Birmingham as Sharon watched on and brushed away tears. Describing Ozzy as a 'working class hero' who loved his city, the Lord Mayor of Birmingham said: 'I got to know him in the last few weeks when we gave him the freedom of the city and he was just so humble, so down to earth. He was a working class hero. 'I couldn't tell he was a rock star, he was just an ordinary guy, so caring. He had working class roots and his loved his fans, he loved his city, he always promoted Birmingham wherever he went, he was proud to have been born in Aston. 'His slogan was 'Birmingham Forever' and that makes me such a proud citizen. It was a last hurrah for him today.' Ozzy 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. Ozzy is survived by his wife Sharon and his five children Jessica, Louis, Aimee, Kelly and Jack. In a statement shared by Ozzy's family at the time, it said he died 'surrounded by love', adding: 'It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning.'
Daily Mail
07-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Sharon Osbourne reveals husband Ozzy's final words about his fans
Sharon Osbourne has revealed her husband Ozzy's heartwarming final words about his fans after he said farewell to them with his last Black Sabbath concert. The Black Sabbath frontman, famously known as the Prince of Darkness, died on last month at the age of 76 - just weeks after performing his final show with the band. And in a new interview, which took place just five days before his death, Sharon gushed about the concert, admitting it was a 'huge success'. She told Pollstar : ' It was the first time, I think, that anybody's gone into retirement and done it, where the show is streamed and it goes to charity. 'So it's the first time anybody has said goodnight like that, it's the perfect way, when you've had such a long career, to end it - I never wanted Ozzy to just disappear without some big event. The wife of the music legend also revealed how Ozzy was blown away by the support at the concert. She explained: 'He [Ozzy] turned around and he said to me that night, he said, 'I had no idea that so many people liked me".' Ozzy took to the stage for his farewell concert at Villa Park stadium in his native Birmingham less than three weeks before his death - reuniting with his original Black Sabbath bandmates for the first time since 2005. The concert was to raise money for three charities: Cure Parkinson's, Birmingham Children's Hospital, and Acorns Children's Hospice. More than 42,000 fans packed into the venue for the Back To The Beginning show, during which he told the crowd in his final speech: 'You've no idea how I feel - thank you from the bottom of my heart.' A message on screen then read: 'Thank you for everything, you guys are [expletive] amazing. Birmingham Forever,' before the sky lit up with fireworks. Ozzy had told of it being his last performance due to his health, having opened up about his battle with Parkinson's in 2020. The musician had undergone seven surgeries in the past five years, including a fourth spinal operation in 2023, and had been battling Parkinson's disease since 2003. Before his final show, Ozzy said he hoped to continue recording music after retiring from live performing, but he heartbreakingly died before he was able to do so. Ozzy's last solo album, 2022's Patient Number 9, featured a long list of guest artists, including hid Black Sabbath bandmate Tony Iommi, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Zakk Wylde, and Pearl Jam's Mike McCready, among others. Last month, huge crowds descended on Birmingham to pay tribute to the beloved Prince of Darkness at his funeral procession. The funeral cortege was led by a live brass band, Bostin' Brass, who performed versions of Black Sabbath songs such as Iron Man, as thousands of tearful devotees lined the streets and sang along in Ozzy's memory. The hearse carrying the singer's coffin - adorned with purple flowers spelling out 'Ozzy' - passed the star's childhood home in Lodge Road, Aston, shortly after midday. Flowers had been placed outside the terraced property, close to Villa Park, while the owners of the house put up a picture of Osbourne in the front bay window. Sharon led the procession with her children Jack, Aimee and Kelly and Ozzy's son Louis from his first marriage as they comforted each other amid their devastating grief. Thousands of people were pictured taking their places not only on Black Sabbath Bridge but along the city centre route along which his cortege travelled towards the Black Sabbath Bridge bench. Fans clapped and cheered chanting 'Ozzy, Ozzy, Ozzy' as the rock legend's hearse passed through the streets of Birmingham as Sharon watched on and brushed away tears. Describing Ozzy as a 'working class hero' who loved his city, the Lord Mayor of Birmingham said: 'I got to know him in the last few weeks when we gave him the freedom of the city and he was just so humble, so down to earth. He was a working class hero. 'I couldn't tell he was a rock star, he was just an ordinary guy, so caring. He had working class roots and his loved his fans, he loved his city, he always promoted Birmingham wherever he went, he was proud to have been born in Aston.
Daily Mail
07-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Sharon Osbourne reveals husband Ozzy's heartwarming final words about his fans in a new interview that took place just five days before the Black Sabbath legend's death
Sharon Osbourne has revealed her husband Ozzy's heartwarming final words about his fans after he said farewell to them with his last Black Sabbath concert. The Black Sabbath frontman, famously known as the Prince of Darkness, died on last month at the age of 76 - just weeks after performing his final show with the band. And in a new interview, which took place just five days before his death, Sharon gushed about the concert, admitting it was a 'huge success'. She told Pollstar: 'It was the first time, I think, that anybody's gone into retirement and done it, where the show is streamed and it goes to charity. 'So it's the first time anybody has said goodnight like that, it's the perfect way, when you've had such a long career, to end it - I never wanted Ozzy to just disappear without some big event. The wife of the music legend also revealed how Ozzy was blown away by the support at the concert. She explained: 'He [Ozzy] turned around and he said to me that night, he said, 'I had no idea that so many people liked me".' Ozzy took to the stage for his farewell concert at Villa Park stadium in his native Birmingham less than three weeks before his death - reuniting with his original Black Sabbath bandmates for the first time since 2005. The concert was to raise money for three charities: Cure Parkinson's, Birmingham Children's Hospital, and Acorns Children's Hospice. More than 42,000 fans packed into the venue for the Back To The Beginning show, during which he told the crowd in his final speech: 'You've no idea how I feel - thank you from the bottom of my heart.' A message on screen then read: 'Thank you for everything, you guys are f***ing amazing. Birmingham Forever,' before the sky lit up with fireworks. Ozzy had told of it being his last performance due to his health, having opened up about his battle with Parkinson's in 2020. The musician had undergone seven surgeries in the past five years, including a fourth spinal operation in 2023, and had been battling Parkinson's disease since 2003. Before his final show, Ozzy said he hoped to continue recording music after retiring from live performing, but he heartbreakingly died before he was able to do so. Ozzy's last solo album, 2022's Patient Number 9, featured a long list of guest artists, including hid Black Sabbath bandmate Tony Iommi, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Zakk Wylde, and Pearl Jam's Mike McCready, among others. Last month, huge crowds descended on Birmingham to pay tribute to the beloved Prince of Darkness at his funeral procession. The funeral cortege was led by a live brass band, Bostin' Brass, who performed versions of Black Sabbath songs such as Iron Man, as thousands of tearful devotees lined the streets and sang along in Ozzy's memory. The hearse carrying the singer's coffin - adorned with purple flowers spelling out 'Ozzy' - passed the star's childhood home in Lodge Road, Aston, shortly after midday. Flowers had been placed outside the terraced property, close to Villa Park, while the owners of the house put up a picture of Osbourne in the front bay window. Sharon led the procession with her children Jack, Aimee and Kelly and Ozzy's son Louis from his first marriage as they comforted each other amid their devastating grief. Thousands of people were pictured taking their places not only on Black Sabbath Bridge but along the city centre route along which his cortege travelled towards the Black Sabbath Bridge bench. Fans clapped and cheered chanting 'Ozzy, Ozzy, Ozzy' as the rock legend's hearse passed through the streets of Birmingham as Sharon watched on and brushed away tears. Describing Ozzy as a 'working class hero' who loved his city, the Lord Mayor of Birmingham said: 'I got to know him in the last few weeks when we gave him the freedom of the city and he was just so humble, so down to earth. He was a working class hero. 'I couldn't tell he was a rock star, he was just an ordinary guy, so caring. He had working class roots and his loved his fans, he loved his city, he always promoted Birmingham wherever he went, he was proud to have been born in Aston. 'His slogan was "Birmingham Forever" and that makes me such a proud citizen. It was a last hurrah for him today.' Ozzy 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. Ozzy is survived by his wife Sharon and his five children Jessica, Louis, Aimee, Kelly and Jack. In a statement shared by Ozzy's family at the time, it said he died 'surrounded by love', adding: 'It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning.'
Yahoo
07-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘He Was Rock Royalty': Ozzy Osbourne Fans Gather for Emotional Farewell at Funeral
With a deafening cheer of 'Ozzy Ozzy Ozzy! Oi oi oi!,' Birmingham, England, said a fond farewell today to its favorite son, Ozzy Osbourne, during a citywide celebration. Thousands of fans gathered in the city center, congregating along Broad Street and near the Black Sabbath Bridge. The mood was mostly upbeat — a fitting tribute to a man who once said he didn't want his funeral to be depressing. Officially, the community came together for a cortège procession in honor of Osbourne, who died at age 76 on July 22. But afterward, the musician's fans transformed a typically morose event into a lively commemoration of life and music that stretched across Osbourne's hometown. Many dressed in Black Sabbath gear and walked with canes — a nod to the Prince of Darkness' style. An unending catalog of Black Sabbath tracks blared from pubs and trucks, and fans of all ages delivered notes, flowers, and even a Star Wars VHS box set to monuments around town, including the now-shuttered Crown pub where Black Sabbath got their start. More from Rolling Stone Carrie Underwood Revealed Her Ozzy Osbourne Fandom With This Stunning Cover Metallica's Robert Trujillo Thanks Ozzy Osbourne for His 'Heart and Soul' Zakk Wylde Honors 'Older Brother' Ozzy Osbourne: 'He Was So Easy to Get Along With' 'There were a couple of weepy moments because everybody loves him, but everybody came here as a celebration of life,' says 36-year-old Mikee Smith, who traveled from Worcester and visited the Crown for a photo. 'It was an uplifting experience.' 'Whatever sorrow I felt on the train ride here was gone as soon as I was part of the crowd waiting for the cortège to go past,' adds Mark Dubanowski, 34, a member of Worcester death metal band Desecrator. 'The atmosphere flipped everything upside down.' The funeral cortège, paid for by the musician's family, trailed through the city with Osbourne's casket in a black hearse. Local band Bostin' Brass provided the soundtrack, evoking both the spirit of New Orleans and the culture of Birmingham in an effort to keep the tears at bay. The group offered rousing takes on Black Sabbath and Osbourne classics like 'Iron Man' and 'Crazy Train,' which they previously learned for the unveiling of the Ozzy the Bull monument during the Birmingham Commonwealth Games opening ceremonies in 2022. If there was a somber moment, it was when Osbourne's family, including widow Sharon, momentarily exited their cars on Black Sabbath Bridge. The rocker's children and grandchildren took in the overflowing pile of flowers and letters, reading a few of the heartfelt notes. The family hugged and shed tears, but fans quickly attempted to uplift spirits by shouting 'Ozzy forever!' and 'Sharon, we love you' before joining their voices in a rousing chant of the musician's name. The family stayed for only a few minutes before moving on and allowing the barricades holding the fans back to be cleared. It was a conscious choice, many said, to give Osbourne the revelatory celebration he always wanted. After paying their respects at the mural, the museum, and on the bridge, many gathered outside the pubs along the canal, pints in hand and cheers to the fallen legend, who returned to Birmingham in the later part of his life — a full-circle moment for the city. Osbourne hailed from a working-class family in Birmingham, a former industrial city that has only recently seen a revitalization. Aaron Diaz, trumpeter and bandleader for Bostin' Brass, points to Osbourne's eventual rise from Aston youth to globally-renowned musician as a mirror of the city's own evolution. 'Ozzy is such an indelible part of Birmingham's music scene. He represents so much about the city's pride and humility and humbleness and sense of humor,' Diaz says. 'He's really become a totem for the city. His regeneration as a cult figure and metal God reflects Birmingham's journey as well.' For many fans, Osbourne was a beacon of hope for a city that has often been overshadowed by London. Many revelers waited in long queues to snap a quick photo on Black Sabbath Bridge or sign the commemorative book at the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery. Following the procession, the wait time to sign the book, which will be gifted to Osbourne's family, was over an hour. Justin Reeves, a Visitor Experience Assistant at the museum, estimated that at least 1,000 fans had come to sign the book by early afternoon on the day of the parade and at least 11,000 had signed it since Osbourne's death. Although he has seen some tears and shared a few emotional moments with visitors, Reeves said he has been heartened by the galvanizing response from around the world. 'I've never experienced anything like this in my life,' says Reeves. 'We've had people come in from London and as far as Argentina and São Paulo. They've all been saying, 'Birmingham is so nice. Everyone here is so lovely.' Someone said to us, 'The way you guys celebrate your local heroes is like nowhere else.' It's been very enriching to the soul to witness it.' One of the fans waiting in line to sign the book was Birmingham local Hayden Worton, 31, who recently attended Osbourne's final performance, Back to the Beginning, a charity concert held at nearby Villa Park. 'I've been to many, many gigs, and it's the best one I've ever been to,' Worton said. 'When he played 'Mama, I'm Coming Home,' there wasn't a dry eye in the place. It was a great send-off. He meant everything to Birmingham. He put Birmingham on the map.' Another local, Sarah Edwards, 45, has regularly been visiting the memorials around Birmingham and leaving flowers and tributes since the musician's death. Edwards was born in the same hospital as Osbourne, and her father was friends with him when he was younger. She said she's never seen the community come together over a Birmingham legend like this in her lifetime. 'This is a first,' she said after visiting the recently unveiled Black Sabbath mural created by artist Mr Murals, where many fans were laying flowers. 'We are the second biggest city in England, and we've never come across anything like this before. It's been very nice because I've met some fantastic people, and everyone is here for the same reason. It's nice that everyone is happy here together.' 'Birmingham has shaped me because that's where I'm from,' Osbourne once told the Huffington Post. 'I had no other choice than to be a Brummie — it's great.' Although many British musicians and artists have died in recent years, some fans could only point to the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022 as being as momentous in U.K. culture. 'She was royalty,' Dubanowski said. 'But so was Ozzy. He was rock royalty.' But even as fans said goodbye to a favorite musician, it was clear Osbourne would never truly be gone. 'When someone that you have followed all your life and you love dies and all of a sudden that person's gone, it's sad,' Edwards said. 'But I know that Ozzy Osbourne will always be here.' Launch Gallery: Ozzy Osbourne Honored With Funeral Procession in Birmingham Best of Rolling Stone Sly and the Family Stone: 20 Essential Songs The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked
