Ozzy Osbourne once said he was unbothered about what music was played at his funeral – as long as the event was a “celebration” and not a “mope-fest”.
The world is mourning the legendary heavy metal pioneer, best known as the frontman for Black Sabbath, after his death aged 76 on Tuesday (22 July).
“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,” a joint statement from his wife, Sharon, and children Kelly, Jack and Aimee said. “He was with his family and surrounded by love.”
On Wednesday (30 July), Osbourne’s body will be brought back to his hometown of Birmingham for a funeral cortège, which will travel through the city ahead of a private funeral. The procession, which will be accompanied by a brass band, will make its way down Broad Street a 1 pm before stopping at the Black Sabbath bridge.
Osbourne – once notorious for his hard-living antics that included biting the head of a dead dove and “snorting a line of ants” – previously opened up about his vision for a send-off.
“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 – but I do want to make sure it’s a celebration, not a mope-fest,” he said in a fan Q&A with The Times back in 2011.
“I’d also like some pranks: maybe the sound of knocking inside the coffin; or a video of me asking my doctor for a second opinion on his diagnosis of ‘death’. There’ll be no harping on the bad times. So to answer your question, yes, a bit of planning is the right thing to do for the family you leave behind.”
He concluded: “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’.”
Osbourne lived to witness a global celebration of his legacy during his farewell show with Black Sabbath just weeks ago – as the original four members of the band played their first gig together in two decades, at Villa Park in Birmingham.
Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music
Sign up now for a 30-day free trial. Terms apply.
Try for free
ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music
Sign up now for a 30-day free trial. Terms apply.
Try for free
ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
They were joined by other heavy metal giants including Metallica, Alice in Chains and Slayer, along with acts including Guns N’ Roses, Tom Morello and Yungblud.
Proceeds from the concert were donated to three different charities, with a total of £140m raised.
Read the latest updates and tributes following Osbourne’s death here.
