Ozzy cortege to make final trip through Birmingham

Fans will be given a chance to pay their respects to heavy metal legend Ozzy Osbourne when his cortege travels through his home city of Birmingham.

The Black Sabbath singer’s body will be brought back for a procession that will travel along Broad Street in the city centre from 13:00 BST on Wednesday.

The news was revealed by BBC WM presenter Ed James who said a hearse will make its way to the Black Sabbath Bridge and bench where thousands of fans have left messages and floral tributes.

The Lord Mayor of Birmingham Zafar Iqbal said: “We’re going to pay our last respects and homage to one of the greatest living legends of Birmingham.” Osbourne died aged 76 on 22 July.

His death came less than three weeks since he took part, along with his band mates, in Black Sabbath’s farewell gig, Back to the Beginning. Dozens of musicians, including members of Metallica and Aerosmith, performed at the Villa Park concert.

The event, which takes place ahead of a private funeral, will allow his family a chance to see the many memories his loyal fans have left alongside flowers and tributes, the council said.

Local musicians Bostin’ Brass will accompany the procession.

Describing him as a “son of Birmingham”, Iqbal said: “He put Birmingham on the map. He put Aston on the map.”

The city was proud to host the event, he said, and added he was grateful the family had offered to pay to enable it to happen.

source: BBC

HA SZERETNÉD TE IS ÉLŐBEN KÖVETNI AZ ESEMÉNY, ITT MEGTEHETED.

Questions:

1. What is the purpose of Ozzy Osbourne’s cortege travelling through Birmingham?
2. Where will the cortege travel through in Birmingham?
3. What will the cortege pass by during its journey?
4. Who will accompany the procession?
5. How did the Lord Mayor of Birmingham describe Ozzy Osbourne?
6. What event took place shortly before Ozzy Osbourne’s death?

Correct answers:

1. The purpose of the cortege is to allow fans to pay their respects to the heavy metal legend Ozzy Osbourne.
2. The cortege will travel along Broad Street in Birmingham city centre.
3. The cortege will pass by the Black Sabbath Bridge and bench, where fans have left messages and floral tributes.
4. The local musicians Bostin’ Brass will accompany the procession.
5. The Lord Mayor described Ozzy Osbourne as “one of the greatest living legends of Birmingham” and a “son of Birmingham” who put the city and Aston on the map.
6. Black Sabbath’s farewell gig, Back to the Beginning, took place less than three weeks before Ozzy Osbourne’s death.

Background

John Michael “Ozzy” Osbourne was born on 3 December 1948 in England. His mother, Lilian worked at a factory and his father, John Thomas (Jack) was a toolmaker at the General Electric Company.

Osbourne was the fourth of six children – with three older sisters and two younger brothers. The family were poor and lived in a small two-bedroom home in Birmingham.  

Osbourne dealt with dyslexia and abuse at school. He left school early at 15 and was employed in a few roles such as a labourer, toolmaker, and even a slaughterhouse worker. After getting into petty crime, he spent six weeks in prison when he was unable to pay a fine after being convicted of burgling a clothes shop.

Interested in drama he took part in school plays and got into music after hearing the Beatles and names their song She Loves You for inspiring him to become a musician.

Music Career

In 1968 Osbourne teamed with other musicians to form a band named Earth, they changed the name after another band was using the same and so Black Sabbath were formed. The band had a loud, ominous amplified sound and often referenced Gothic influences and the occult in its lyrics. They released their first album in 1970 and quickly gained a fan following across the UK and the USA. They continued to release albums through the mid-1970s. After a tour in 1978 Ozzy left, and went through a difficult time with his then marriage and drug dependency before meeting and marrying Sharon Arden who encouraged his solo career.

His first solo album Blizzard of Ozz in 1980 was a huge success and went multi-platinum and included the single Crazy Train. The next album was Diary of a Madman in 1981 which sold millions. The tour for this album was the famous one where Ozzy allegedly bit the head off a live bat thinking that it was actually a rubber toy.

Throughout the 1980s, Osbourne continued with his angry rebellious image, building his public persona and he was often picked out by religious groups as an example of the negative impact of rock music on good society.

Despite time in rehab, Osbourne continued his success, with albums Bark at the Moon (1983), The Ultimate Sin (1986) and No Rest for the Wicked (1988) going multi-platinum. His sixth solo album No More Tears (1991) reached the Top 10. He won a Grammy Award for best metal performance for the song I Don’t Want to Change the World.

Despite announcing his retirement over the years, he continued recording. 

He organised the successful Ozzfest with Sharon, an annual summer music festival featuring heavy metal acts which began in 1996 and toured throughout the USA and parts of Europe.

By the end of the 1990s, Osbourne got back with the original members of Black Sabbath for a new album and tour, and in 1999 the band won a Grammy for best metal performance for the song Iron Man.

In 2007 he released the solo album Black Rain, followed by Scream (2010) and Ordinary Man (2020).  In 2013 Osbourne made the studio recording 13 with Black Sabbath after 35 years.

In 2020, Osbourne released his first solo album in almost ten years, Ordinary Man, which debuted at number three on the UK Albums Chart and 2022 saw the release of his thirteenth album Patient Number 9.

TV Show

In 2001 the popular reality television show, The Osbournes, which focused on the life of Ozzy and his family, premiered on MTV. The show ran until 2005, earning a Primetime Emmy and becoming one of MTV’s highest-rated shows ever.

Acting

Osbourne has starred in movies like Austin Powers Goldmember (2002) and the remake of Ghostbusters (2016).  

Personal Life

In 1971, Osbourne met his first wife Thelma and children Jessica, and Louis were later born.

Osbourne married his manager Sharon Arden in 1982 and the couple had three children together, Aimee, Kelly, and Jack. They were married for over 40 years and the family lived between their Buckinghamshire mansion and a home in Los Angeles.

Osbourne suffered health issues over the years and was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2019. It was well-reported that he misused alcohol and drugs for much of his life, but he managed to remain sober for extended periods in recent years.

The heavy metal star reunited with his Black Sabbath bandmates on stage at Villa Park earlier in July. Just three weeks after the farewell concert Ozzy died peacefully on 22 July, 2025, surrounded by his family.