Ozzy Osbourne Honored in Emotional Funeral Procession

Ozzy Osbourne’s family said goodbye to the famed rocker in an emotional funeral. The Black Sabbath star, who died on July 22 at the age of 76, was honored in a funeral procession through his hometown of Birmingham, England, on July 30.

His longtime wife, Sharon, and two of his children, Jack and Kelly, walked arm in arm. Sharon was visibly distraught. 

His cortege and family visited Broad Street, where the Black Sabbath bridge and bench have become a public memorial with flowers, photos and notes. Accompanying the hearse and vehicles in the procession was a live brass band performance by Bostin’ Brass who performed “Iron Man.”

The rocker’s coffin was laid with purple flowers spelling out his name. Fans chanted his name throughout the procession. He will be laid to rest in Buckinghamshire, per BBC News. Following his death, a source told PEOPLE that Ozzy and Sharon had moved to Buckinghamshire in 2023.

“It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning,” his family said in a statement at the time of his passing. “He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.”

On July 5, Ozzy performed at Black Sabbath’s final concert, marking the first time he and the band reunited in 20 years. He was unable to walk due to Parkinson’s disease.

More than 10 years before his death, Ozzy told The Times about what he had in mind for a funeral, saying he didn’t want it to be a “mope-fest.” He said, “I honestly don’t care what they play at my funeral; they can put on a medley of Justin Bieber, Susan Boyle and ‘We Are the Diddymen’ if it makes ’em happy.”

He added that he doesn’t want there to be “no harping on the bad times,” adding, “a bit of planning is the right thing to do for the family you leave behind. It’s worth remembering that a lot of people see nothing but misery their whole lives. So by any measure, most of us in this country — especially rock stars like me — are very lucky. That’s why I don’t want my funeral to be sad. I want it to be a time to say ‘thanks.’”