Fans will have the opportunity to pay their respects to Ozzy Osbourne, the legendary heavy metal icon, as his cortege proceeds through his hometown of Birmingham.
The Black Sabbath vocalist’s remains will return to the city for a procession along Broad Street in the city center, commencing at 13:00 BST on Wednesday.
BBC WM presenter Ed James announced that a hearse will travel to the Black Sabbath Bridge and bench, a site where countless fans have left messages and floral tributes.
Lord Mayor of Birmingham Zafar Iqbal stated, “We will pay our final respects and homage to one of Birmingham’s greatest living legends.” Osbourne passed away at the age of 76 on July 22.
His death occurred less than three weeks after his participation, alongside his bandmates, in Black Sabbath’s farewell gig, Back to the Beginning. Numerous musicians, including members of Metallica and Aerosmith, performed at the Villa Park concert.
The event, preceding a private funeral, will offer his family an opportunity to witness the multitude of tributes left by his devoted fans, including flowers and messages, according to the council.
Local musicians Bostin’ Brass will accompany the procession.
Iqbal described Osbourne as a “son of Birmingham,” stating, “He put Birmingham on the map. He put Aston on the map.”
He recounted standing in line to sign a book of condolence, engaging with fans, and noted, “The love they showed for Ozzy and his family was immense.”
He emphasized the city’s pride in hosting the event and expressed gratitude to the family for their contribution to its realization.
Individuals from as far as Mexico, the USA, and Poland have traveled to the city to contribute to the outpouring of flowers and messages at the Black Sabbath Bridge.
A letter from Greece read, “To our king of metal, you were a light in the darkness, the most beautiful, humble, glorious madman. We were all so lucky. Thank you for the music. Without it, I’m not sure who I’d be.”
Broad Street will be closed to traffic from 07:00 BST on Wednesday, with trams and buses rerouted throughout the day, and will reopen as soon as possible following the event, according to a city council spokesperson.
The city council stated that it had worked “at pace” to coordinate the event in collaboration with the family, who had funded all associated costs.
The public is encouraged to arrive early. For those unable to attend, the council stated that the live stream of the Black Sabbath bench will continue to operate and can be viewed online.
Fans and members of the public wishing to pay their respects can also visit Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, where a book of condolence is available, alongside the Ozzy Osbourne Working Class Hero exhibition, which was inaugurated by Sharon Osbourne last month.
Rachel Tomlinson, from Birmingham, told BBC Midlands Today that holding the procession in Osbourne’s home city was “amazing” because it was “where he should rightly be”.
“He was always proud to be a Brummie,” she added. “He makes me proud to be a Brummie. It will be good to have him back one last time.”
Ms. Tomlinson described Osbourne and Black Sabbath as “the founders of heavy metal” and stated that her life would not have been the same without their influence.
“I go to a lot of gigs and festivals, I’ve got a huge lifestyle community that surrounds that,” she added.
“Without what they’ve started, I wouldn’t have any of that and my friends wouldn’t have any of that.
“It was so important in shaping the way a lot of bands took off. They were inspired by Black Sabbath and what they provided to them. It was like an outlet for everybody, it was so inspiring.”
Other tributes in the city include the Black Sabbath Mural on Navigation Street; Ozzy the Bull at New Street Station; and The Crown pub – a recently listed building that is globally recognized as the birthplace of heavy metal, where Black Sabbath first played in 1968.
Ali Zaman, residing in Osbourne’s former childhood home in Lodge Road, Aston, has created a dedicated email address for fans to send messages and reports being “inundated.”
He stated that his parents purchased the property from Osbourne’s father, adding, “As he got famous, all these fans were coming down, and they realized they’ve got a problem.”
Mr. Zaman is now compiling tributes to the rock icon, intending to make the pictures and memories accessible to everyone on a website.
Meanwhile, a petition to rename Birmingham Airport as Ozzy Osbourne International has garnered over 46,000 signatures.
A spokesperson for the airport stated that they would explore ways to celebrate Osbourne’s heritage and contribution to the region.
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