Ozzy Osbourne funeral: Fans flood Birmingham streets to honor Black Sabbath legend in emotional farewell

The funeral procession for Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne, who passed away earlier this month at the age of 76, drew thousands of heavy metal fans to Birmingham's streets on Wednesday. Before a private funeral, the singer known as "The Prince of Darkness" and the "Godfather of Heavy Metal" had his cortege driven through his hometown in central England. Osbourne's wife, Sharon, and their family viewed some of the thousands of flowers and tributes left by fans at a bench honoring the musical pioneers.Many of the attendees chanted "Ozzy, Ozzy" as the family raised and made harmony signs. Since Osbourne had stated that he did not want his funeral to be a "mope-fest," there was a mix of joy and sorrow in the streets, with a brass band in the New Orleans style leading the procession. According to Hindustan Times, a fan remarked, "He was the soundtrack particularly to my life growing up." "Black Sabbath are the originators of heavy metal and made such great music. And he dared to be different because he was different."A stellar lineup that included Metallica, Slayer, Tool, and Guns N' Roses also paid homage to Black Sabbath's legacy at Osbourne's final show in the city this month.The late Ozzy Osbourne rose to fame in the early 1970s with Black Sabbath's hits like "Paranoid," "War Pigs," and "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath." His wild stage performances, including the infamous bat-head biting incident, propelled him beyond the metal scene. He garnered new fans in 2002 by co-starring with his wife Sharon and children, Jack and Kelly, in the American reality TV series "The Osbournes." Osbourne passed away on July 22, though no cause of death was officially stated, he had revealed a Parkinson's disease diagnosis in 2020.