AP
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The “home of metal” is honoring one of its most cherished sons.
Thousands of Black Sabbath followers have been paying their respects Wednesday to frontman Ozzy Osbourne as his hearse made its approach through the streets of Birmingham, the English metropolis the place he grew up and the place the band was fashioned in 1968.
The hearse carrying Osbourne, who died last Tuesday at the age of 76, was making its approach down Broad Street, the metropolis’s main thoroughfare, to the Black Sabbath bench, which was unveiled on the Broad Street canal bridge in 2019.
“Ozzy, Ozzy, Ozzy, oi, oi, oi,” followers screamed as the hearse arrived.
Six automobiles carrying the Osbourne household, who paid for the procession, adopted. The household emerged briefly, together with his spouse of 43 years Sharon visibly moved.
Long-time fan Antony Hunt stated it has been an “emotional” day and that he needed to be in the metropolis to pay his respects.
“What’s amazing is there’s so many, such a wide variety of age groups, from little, little children, teenagers to people in their 60s, 70s, so it’s great to see that,” he stated.
Since Osbourne’s dying was introduced, followers have made pilgrimages to websites round Birmingham, which has embraced its fame as the birthplace of heavy metallic. Among his friends, the singer was metallic’s godfather.
“Ozzy was more than a music legend – he was a son of Birmingham,” stated metropolis official Zafar Iqbal. “We know how much this moment will mean to his fans.”
Osbourne and his Black Sabbath bandmates, Terence Butler, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward, have been lately awarded the Freedom of the City in recognition of their companies to Birmingham.
Black Sabbath’s story started in Birmingham in 1968 when the 4 authentic members have been seeking to escape a life of manufacturing facility work. Without doubt, the sound and fury of heavy metallic had its roots in the metropolis’s manufacturing heritage. Osbourne by no means forgot his working-class roots, and his Brummie accent remained.
Black Sabbath has been broadly credited with defining and popularizing the sound of heavy metallic – aggressive, however full of melodies.
Osbourne was the band’s frontman throughout its peak interval in the Seventies.
His antics, on and off stage, have been legendary, and infrequently fueled by drink and medicines. He was broadly recognized as the “Prince of Darkness.”
Ozzy Osbourne’s life in footage
The band’s eponymous debut album in 1970 made the U.Ok. high 10 and paved the approach for a string of hit albums, together with 1971’s “Master of Reality” and “Vol. 4” a 12 months later. It went on to develop into one of the most influential and profitable metallic bands of all time, promoting greater than 75 million albums worldwide.
At the ultimate present on July 5, 42,000 followers watched the band carry out for the first time in 20 years at Villa Park, home of the metropolis’s greatest soccer membership, Aston Villa, with Osbourne seated on a black throne. Osbourne had been unwell in recent times, particularly after being recognized with Parkinson’s illness in 2019.
Osbourne, who additionally had a profitable solo profession, discovered a brand new legion of followers in the early 2000s reality show “The Osbournes” by which he starred alongside Sharon and two youngest kids, Kelly and Jack.