Thousands of fans gathered in the streets of Birmingham, England, to bid a final farewell to Ozzy Osbourne . The funeral procession carrying the singer's body passed through his hometown on Wednesday, July 30th. The heavy metal icon and Black Sabbath died on July 22nd, at the age of 76.
More than 150,000 fans worldwide watched the procession via live stream on the Black Sabbath Bench website .
Before the ceremony, the car carrying Osbourne's coffin passed by the singer's childhood home on Lodge Road, Aston. Flowers were also laid outside the property, near Villa Park.
Next, the funeral procession proceeded through the center of the singer's hometown, stopping at the Black Sabbath Bench and Bridge, where thousands of fans left messages and flowers in tribute to the pioneering heavy metal singer.
The funeral procession was escorted by police to the site, while hundreds of fans chanted “Ozzy, Ozzy, Ozzy” throughout the procession. The local band Bostin' Brass Band played the classic “Iron Man” by Black Sabbath, from their second album Paranoid (1970).
Wife and manager Sharon Osbourne and children Jack, Kelly (along with Sid Wilson of Slipknot, and the couple's young son, Sidney ), Aimee , and Louis – Ozzy's son from his first marriage to Thelma Riley – were in cars behind the hearse carrying the singer's body.
The singer's hearse displayed purple flowers spelling out "OZZY" beside his coffin. The vehicle stopped in front of the memorial. The event gave the Osbourne family the opportunity to see the tributes fans left around the city, as well as greet the crowd, lay flowers, and read some of the tributes left for the late Prince of Darkness.
Elton John and Metallica will be at the private funeral.
Immediately following the public procession, the grieving family departed for the private funeral at a church in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, which will take place tomorrow, August 1st.
The Sun newspaper : “Sharon and the family want to celebrate Ozzy’s life with his fans, with plans for the funeral procession to pass through Birmingham. Tomorrow they will have a private service at a church in Gerrards Cross, Bucks. Sharon and her family have been very touched by the messages they have received. Not only from Ozzy’s friends, but also from his fans around the world.”
Also, according to The Sun , singer Yungblud, who has become close to Ozzy in recent years, will be doing a reading at the service. His Black Sabbath Tony Iommi , Bill Ward , and Geezer Butler will also be in attendance.
Among other artists who will be at the church, the newspaper confirmed the members of Metallica and Elton John .
Ozzy Osbourne's last concert
Ozzy Osbourne died just 17 days after his last live performance. Black Sabbath 's farewell show took place on July 5th at Villa Park in Birmingham, UK. Approximately 40,000 people attended the event, with 5.8 million people watching the show online.
Titled "Back To The Beginning ," the final show by the greatest heavy metal band reunited the four original members. Vocalist Ozzy Osbourne, bassist Geezer Butler, guitarist Tony Iommi, and drummer Bill Ward played together for the first and last time in 20 years.
Ozzy Osbourne's last public appearance was at the Birmingham edition of Comic Con Midlands . The event took place a few days after Back to the Beginning , on July 12th and 13th.
Ozzy, along with his wife/manager Sharon, his daughter Kelly, and his son Jack, held autograph and photo sessions on both days of the event.
Ozzy Osbourne's death was "unexpected," according to tabloid.
According to the Daily Mail , a family friend said his death was "unexpected." The Prince of Darkness passed away at his mansion in England, where he spent his final days with his wife/businesswoman Sharon Osbourne , "and his daughters, Kelly and Aimee Osbourne, who cared for him," according to the tabloid.
Furthermore, according to the Daily Mail , a source close to the family stated that "Ozzy always intended to return to live in the United Kingdom, in Buckinghamshire."
“There was a lot of hope that he would remain alive for much longer. However, at one point there was a fear that they wouldn’t be able to bring him from Los Angeles for his farewell performance earlier this month,” the friend reportedly said. “It’s extremely sad for all of them, who really hoped he would be able to stay alive for a while longer. But it’s very beautiful to know that he had his children by his side in his final days.”
Paramedics spent two hours trying to save Ozzy Osbourne.
According to the Daily Mail newspaper , was called Ozzy Osbourne 's house in an attempt to save him on the day he died, last Tuesday, the 22nd.
A helicopter from The Thames Valley landed in a field near Welders House, the Osbourne family mansion, on Tuesday morning at around 10:30 am.
According to the Daily Mail, calls from Welders House led operators to believe that the Prince of Darkness's life was in danger. The newspaper also states that paramedics fought for two hours to try to save Ozzy's life, but were unsuccessful.
Shortly afterwards, a spokesperson for the service confirmed to the Daily Mail : “We can confirm that we sent our helicopter to provide advanced intensive care at an incident near Chalfont St Giles yesterday.”
Residents of the village of Jordans, which is next to the Osbournes' house, told the Daily Mail that they realized "something serious" was happening. They heard a helicopter hovering over Welders House and saw it land nearby.
READ ALSO: 'Back To The Beginning': Black Sabbath's farewell show will be released in theaters
