Democracy Dies in Darkness

Birmingham lays to rest Ozzy Osbourne, hard-rocking, bat-biting native son

Headbangers shed tears and piled flowers as they mourned the Black Sabbath star and heavy metal showman, who remained a “Brummie lad” even after moving to Beverly Hills.

July 30, 2025 at 12:33 p.m. EDTToday at 12:33 p.m. EDT

5 min

Fans flooded the streets of Birmingham, England, bidding farewell to Ozzy Osbourne as his funeral procession rolled through his hometown on July 30. (Video: Reuters)

By William Booth

BIRMINGHAM, England — The headbangers threw flowers atop the black hearse, as a brass band played a cover of “Iron Man.”

Thousands of mourners came out to watch the funeral procession. They chanted “Ozzy!” and raised their hands in devil’s horns signs as his cortege rolled down Broad Street in Birmingham’s city center.

What readers are saying

The comments reflect on Ozzy Osbourne's profound influence on heavy metal music and its culture. Many commenters share personal anecdotes about how his music, particularly with Black Sabbath, impacted their lives, highlighting songs like "Crazy Train" and "Iron Man." Ozzy is... Show more

This summary is AI-generated. AI can make mistakes and this summary is not a replacement for reading the comments.

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