Ozzy’s Funeral in Photos

Tens of thousands of fans gathered in Birmingham, England on Wednesday afternoon to pay their final respects to Ozzy Osbourne, the legendary Black Sabbath frontman who died on July 22 at age 76. The public funeral procession began at approximately 1:00 PM BST as the hearse carrying Osbourne's coffin traveled down Broad Street in the city center.

Local musicians from Bostin Brass led the procession, performing Black Sabbath classics including “Iron Man” and “Crazy Train.” The cortege, which included a police escort and six vehicles carrying the Osbourne family, made its way to the Black Sabbath Bridge and bench, where thousands of fans had left flowers, messages, and tributes over the past week.

At the bridge, Sharon Osbourne emerged from one of the vehicles with her children Jack, Kelly, and Aimee, as well as Ozzy's rarely seen son Louis. Sharon was visibly emotional and leaned on her children for support as they walked hand in hand to view the sea of tributes. The family spent approximately five minutes at the memorial site before Sharon turned to the crowd and flashed Ozzy's signature peace sign gesture.

The emotional crowd responded with chants of “Ozzy, Ozzy, Ozzy, oi oi oi!” and “Thank you, Ozzy,” while some threw flowers onto the hearse. Purple flowers spelling out “OZZY” could be seen atop the coffin.

Fans had begun gathering on Broad Street from early morning, with supporters traveling from as far as Mexico, Poland, Greece, and the United States. The procession was livestreamed globally, allowing millions of fans worldwide to participate in the farewell.

Following the public procession, the family proceeded to a private funeral service at an undisclosed location. Birmingham's Lord Mayor Zafar Iqbal called Osbourne “more than a music legend – he was a son of Birmingham,” noting the significance of the city giving him a fitting farewell in the place where his career began.

The procession came just 25 days after Osbourne's final performance at the “Back to the Beginning” concert at Villa Park on July 5, where he reunited with the original Black Sabbath lineup despite his ongoing battle with Parkinson's disease.

Photos of Ozzy Osbourne's Funeral Procession