Between enraged and lucuitous, thousands of followers fired Ozzy Osbourne on Monday, one of the world’s heavy metal icons, in an emotional procession that toured the streets of Birmingham, its hometown in the center of England.
The legendary “Prince of Tinieblas” died on Tuesday, July 22 at age 76, surrounded by his family after a long battle against Parkinson’s disease and other health problems that were awaken for more than a decade.
His legacy in British and universal music is immense, with Black Sabbath, the pioneer band of the Heavy metal which co -founded in 1968, and a solo career that consecrated him as one of the most influential voices of the genre.
Cortation and procession
The funeral courtship began with a black car that transported its coffin, covered with rose flowers forming its iconic “Ozzy” name.
The tour was accompanied by thousands of fans who filled the streets, chanting their name and showing t -shirts, jackets and tattoos in their honor.
The procession stopped in front of the emblematic “Black Sabbath Bridge”, a bridge adorned with a bank that carries the faces of the four original members of the band and that for years is a memorial for the legend of the legend Heavy metal. There, his wife Sharon Osbourne and his three children deposited flowers in tears and words of thanks at a time full of emotion and respect.
Thousands of followers, from very young to people in their 70s, demonstrated the depth of the cultural and musical impact of Osbourne, who always maintained a deep connection with their working class roots in Birmingham, a key place in the English industrial revolution since the mid -eighteenth century.
His voice, characterized by an unmistakable accent that he never hid, reflected the authenticity and force with which he permeated world metal music.
Fame, however, never moved him away from his homeland, who honored him with the parchment and the medal of the freedom of the city, both to him and the rest of the band, in recognition of his contributions and the influence he exerted both in culture and in local identity.
Ozzy’s final farewell was intimate, planned by his family to celebrate his life and legacy with a private funeral attended by friends and outstanding figures such as Elton John and James Hetfield, leader of Metallica.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=na2_wjoqnc4
A legend band
The story of Ozzy Osbourne is closely linked to that of Black Sabbath, a band that revolutionized rock with seminal albums as Paranoid and Master of realitythat redefined the Heavy Metal with its dark and powerful sound.
The band sold more than 75 million albums worldwide and became a reference for entire generations of musicians and fans of the genre.
The inclusion in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006 – first with Black Sabbath and then, in 2024, as a soloist – certified his legendary status in the history of music.
A high, but authentic personality
Beyond iconic themes such as “Paranoid” and “Iron Man”, both of 1970, the figure of Osbourne was also recognized for his extravagant personality and his life full of ups and downs.
It was the soil for its scandalous acts, such as the unforgettable moment in 1982 when he bit the head of a bat in full concert, a gesture that became part of his personal mythology.
His public struggle with alcohol and drugs, including dramatic episodes such as his arrest in 1989 for trying to assault his wife under the influence of alcohol, humanized the icon and added controversy to their biography, while transparency and humor with which he addressed these episodes also were part of their unique charism.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkagtptidug
Last days
His last concert, held on July 5, 2025 in Birmingham, congregated more than 40,000 fans who chanted their successes while Osbourne, already weakened by Parkinson diagnosed in 2009, sat on a black throne, a symbol of his reign in the Heavy metal.
This concert marked the end of a five decades race that brought British music to new horizons, and left an indelible mark on global culture.
The impact of his death was worldwide, with tributes from artists of all genres, and a massive influx of condolence and admiration messages.
His reality show familiar, The Osbournesalso contributed to expand its image beyond music, showing the public a closer and familiar facet of the artist.
