Fans of Black Sabbath have expressed their sorrow as Sharon Osbourne was seen honoring her late husband, Ozzy Osbourne.
Sharon, along with her children Jack, Kelly, and the seldom-seen Aimee, joined the gathering to pay tribute as thousands of admirers lined the streets of Birmingham on Wednesday, July 30.
Numerous floral tributes adorned the famous Black Sabbath bench, with Sharon and her children placing lilac flowers wrapped in black paper on the abundant bouquets from grieving fans.
A black hearse carrying a purple cross and floral arrangements spelling out Ozzy’s name made its way through Birmingham’s streets.
The legendary Black Sabbath frontman and reality TV personality passed away at 76 last week, shortly after performing at the celebrated Back To The Beginning farewell concert in his honor.
His family issued a statement saying, “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. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.”
An emotional Sharon, in addition to leaving a floral tribute for her husband, was seen raising two peace signs towards the sky before succumbing to tears.
Fans interpreted this gesture as a heartfelt homage to Ozzy, who was known for the peace sign.
One fan explained on Facebook, “Just an observation from a guy who has been a Sabbath/Ozzy fan since the 70s. Some will say I am nitpicking and not respecting how others view things. But I am seeing a lot of posts and pictures of billboards with images of the devil horns hand sign.
“Now I know that sign has become the ‘official’ sign of rock and roll, but Ozzy’s gesture has always been the double peace sign. It was [Ronnie James] Dio that did the horns and made them popular with rock and roll long after Ozzy had been doing the double peace signs. Let’s all please remember just another one of the things that Ozzy brought us!”
Ronnie James Dio, who passed away in 2010, joined Black Sabbath in 1979 after Ozzy’s departure and performed with the band until 1982, returning briefly in the early 1990s.
During the procession, the hearse passed Ozzy’s childhood home, a two-bedroom terrace house on Lodge Road in Birmingham.
This detail wasn’t shared with fans beforehand, with many gathering opposite the well-known Black Sabbath bench along the publicized route.
As the hearse passed, fans tossed flowers onto its front, all while the Bostin Brass band played covers of Ozzy’s songs.
Sharon was seen embracing the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Zafar Iqbal, who reflected on Ozzy’s significance to the city: “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.”
Kelly previously honored her father by donning his iconic purple round glasses.
Ozzy once shared his thoughts on his funeral with The Times: “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. I’d also like some pranks: maybe the sound of knocking inside the coffin, or a video of me asking my doctor for a second opinion on his diagnosis of ‘death’.
“There’ll be no harping on the bad times. It’s worth remembering that a lot of people see nothing but misery their whole lives.
“So by any measure, most of us in this country – especially rock stars like me – are very lucky. That’s why I don’t want my funeral to be sad – I want it to be a time to say, ‘Thanks’.”