A tearful Sharon Osbourne led tributes to her late husband on Wednesday as thousands lined the streets of Birmingham to say goodbye to the fallen heavy metal icon.
Ozzy Osbourne passed away on July 22 at age 76, just weeks after playing a final show with his band Black Sabbath which raised over $190 million for charity.
He was honored with a full funeral procession which started at his childhood home in Aston before making its way through the streets of Birmingham passing by a number of local landmarks associated with his legacy.
Thousands of fans both young and old attended, some wearing Black Sabbath shirts, others brandishing handmade signs, cheered and wept as the hearse passed by, many of them eager to pay their respects to the “Prince of Darkness” who defined their city and pioneered heavy metal as an art form.
Sharon, 72, was visibly emotional as she walked alongside her children— Kelly, 40, Jack, 39, and Aimee, 41. She was beset by chants of “We love you, Sharon” and “Ozzy, Ozzy, Ozzy” as the procession made its way past adoring fans, flashing the peace sign to well-wishers while holding back tears.
She broke down again as the hearse stopped at Black Sabbath Bridge, a tourist attraction featuring portraits of all four members of the iconic band, and was embraced by Birmingham Lord Mayor Zafar Iqbal, who previously called Ozzy “one of the greatest living legends of Birmingham.”
He later told the Press Association: “It was very emotional and a great turnout with thousands of fans lining the streets. It was well organized, we looked after all the fans and I think it was a fitting tribute to a legend who was a Brummie through and through.
“Like his final gig, he came back home and we were proud to have him.”
Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne were married for over four decades after initially meeting in 1982. They celebrated their 43rd wedding anniversary just weeks before the star’s death. The frontman had previously claimed that meeting Sharon, who served as his manager before they became romantically involved, was “the best moment” of his life.
Speaking about his wife last year, Ozzy said: “Sharon is like my soulmate–sometimes I love her, sometimes I don’t love her, sometimes I’m angry with her, sometimes I’m crazy about her.
“But through it all, at the end of the day, I love her more than anything in the world. I couldn’t live without her; I don’t wanna live without her.”
In a 2022 Instagram post, Sharon wrote: “Over 52 years we have been friends, lovers, husband and wife, grandparents and soulmates. Always at each other’s side. I love you Ozzy.”
Piers Morgan, who has interviewed both Ozzy and Sharon many times throughout their careers, called the scenes from Birmingham today “heartbreaking.”
“I never knew a couple who loved each other more, despite everything life threw at them, or who better epitomised the ‘till death do us part’ of marriage,” he wrote on X. “Sharon looks utterly bereft without her Ozzy. I feel so terribly sad for her.”
Osbourne previously told The Times back in 2011 that he didn’t care about what happened at his funeral. “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,” he said.
A private funeral ceremony for friends and family will take place later Wednesday.
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