BIRMINGHAM, United Kingdom — 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
Kingdom — 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 Mhairi Larner said it was “overwhelming” and “very emotional” to be part of the city’s farewell to a star who’d been so “proud of his roots”.
