Tens of thousands of people have poured out onto the streets of Birmingham, England, for the funeral of heavy metal rockstar Ozzy Osbourne.
Wife Sharon and daughter Kelly — who starred alongside the musician in the genre-defining reality show The Osbournes — were in tears as they lay flowers at the Black Sabbath Bridge in Osbourne’s native hometown.
Last week, on Tuesday, the news broke that Osbourne had died at the age of 76. “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,” Osbourne’s family confirmed in statement at the time. “He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.”
Ozzy Osbourne fans line the streets to pay tribute at his funeral procession in Birmingham, U.K.
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A funeral procession through Birmingham was privately funded by the Osbourne family, according to the BBC, as the singer’s manager-turned-spouse Sharon leant on her children Kelly and Jack for support. She was seen breaking down in tears numerous times across the day.
Floods of people came to pay tribute on Tuesday as murals of Osbourne popped up across the city of Birmingham. Fans donned spikes, flames, tour merchandise and patches in celebration of the late artist’s legacy.
As the funeral cars passed by on the blocked street, flowers were thrown onto them. The Osbourne family turned to the crowd on Birmingham’s Broad Street, visibly emotional as they put their arms in the air and returned peace signs.
Ozzy Osbourne fans pay tribute at his funeral in Birmingham, U.K.
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Signage flanking the road showed Osbourne in his heyday with the messaging: “Ozzy forever Birmingham will always love you,” and cries of “Ozzy, Ozzy, Ozzy, oi oi oi!” rang through the crowd.
Osbourne died following years of health issues, just weeks after he played his final show in Birmingham, where he reunited with Black Sabbath. The original vocalist of the iconic English rock band, Osbourne had a sprawling music career with the group that led to his own successful solo career with other 100 million records sold worldwide.
He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Black Sabbath in 2006, then again for a second time as a solo artist in 2024. News of his death shocked the music industry, who paid tribute through the day.