Ozzy Osbourne’s funeral procession took place in Birmingham yesterday, and it was every bit as moving as fans could’ve imagined.
The heavy metal legends’ wife Sharon and their three children Aimee, Jack and Kelly travelled behind Ozzy’s hearse as it made its way along Birmingham City’s Broad Street, which was filled with thousands of mourning fans.
A purple crucifix sat on top of the hearse, with a floral arrangement that simply read “Ozzy” resting beside the coffin. Fans were singing and chanting “Ozzy, Ozzy, Ozzy!” as a brass band played Crazy Train.
The procession paused at the Black Sabbath Bridge, already covered in flowers and tributes from fans, where the family stepped out to lay their own flowers.
Sharon looked understandably heartbroken and had to be supported by Jack and Kelly as they walked together to the memorial with Aimee, all holding pink flowers wrapped in black paper. Kelly wore Ozzy’s trademark purple glasses in a touching nod to her dad, and Sharon wore a necklace with Ozzy's wedding ring on it, as a tribute to their over four-decade-long marriage.
They were then joined by their loved ones, including Jack's wife Aree and their three-year-old daughter Maple, Kelly's fiancé Sid Wilson and their son Sidney, and Ozzy's son from a previous marriage, Louis. The city's Lord Mayor, Councillor Zafar Iqbal was also in attendance.
After laying their flowers, Sharon and Aimee turned back to the crowd and threw up peace signs as a thank-you to the fans who’d gathered, before Jack and Kelly helped Sharon back into the van as the procession moved on.
The music was a big part of the day - a live brass band, Boston Brass, played Ozzy and Sabbath songs along the route, giving the whole event a raw, emotional energy. You could feel how much Ozzy meant to this city and its people.
Ozzy was then laid to rest in a private ceremony in the city following the public send-off.
The fact that the public celebrations were filled with music, screaming fans and live-streamed around the world, I reckon it's a send-off that Ozzy would've been proud of.
Rest in Peace, Prince of Darkness.
