Ozzy Osbourne’s rock howl helped make him a heavy metal icon before his genial TV antics turned him into a reality TV star.
Now celebrities, fans and loving locals have thronged the streets of his home city to pay tribute ahead of his funeral procession after his death last week aged 76.
The so-called ‘Prince of Darkness’ has been memorialised in Birmingham since last Tuesday’s announcement by his family including wife Sharon.
The much-visited ‘Black Sabbath Bridge’ in England’s second city has been covered in floral tributes and was this morning closed off so his relatives could pay a visit.
A funeral parade along Birmingham’s Broad Street is planned for 1pm onwards.
Yet crowds have been gathering from early on, well in advance, to show their respects for the singer whose songs included Paranoid and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath.
Thousands of people have been pictured taking their places not only on Black Sabbath Bridge but along the city centre-long route that his cortege will travel.
The hearse carrying Osbourne will make its way down Broad Street – starting at the city’s busy Five Ways roundabout – to the Black Sabbath bench from about 1pm.
Ozzy Osbourne, who died last week aged 76, recently performed at Villa Park in Birmingham
Fans have been gathering today ahead of his funeral procession through England’s second city
Masses of floral tributes have been piling up at Birmingham’s Black Sabbath Bridge
Ozzy is pictured here with his wife Sharon Osbourne, in Los Angeles in September 2017
His family members are expected to watch the cortege, which will be accompanied by a live brass band called Bostin’ Brass – the first word being a Black Country term.
Fans have left heartfelt messages and floral tributes around the Black Sabbath mural on Navigation Street in recent days to honour the heavy metal star who was born in the Aston area of Birmingham.
Members of the public have also signed a book of condolences, opened by Birmingham Museum And Art Gallery, which is currently holding an exhibition titled Ozzy Osbourne (1948-2025): Working Class Hero.
While organising the procession, Birmingham City Council collaborated with the Osbourne family, who funded all of the associated costs.
The Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Zafar Iqbal, said: ‘Ozzy was more than a music legend – he was a son of Birmingham.
‘Having recently been awarded the Freedom of the City and following his celebrated appearance at the Back to the Beginning concert at Villa Park earlier this month, it was important to the city that we support a fitting, dignified tribute ahead of a private family funeral.
‘We know how much this moment will mean to his fans. We’re proud to host it here with his loving family in the place where it all began, and we are grateful that they have generously offered to pay to enable this to happen and support the city is giving him the farewell he deserves.’
Broad Street has been closed to through traffic from 7am today, with buses and trams diverted before the road packed with bars reopens when the event finishes.
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.
They are expected to attend, while other reported celebrity guests include Sir Elton John.
The group, which formed in 1968, are 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 noughties 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.
