Ozzy Osbourne, the legendary heavy metal pioneer and former Black Sabbath frontman, had expressed his wish for a funeral that was a 'celebration, not a mope-fest', according to a 2011 interview. The singer died on Tuesday, 22 July, at the age of 76.
In a statement, his family said: '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. 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, accompanied by a brass band, will make its way down Broad Street at 1 pm before stopping at the Black Sabbath bridge.
Osbourne had previously shared his vision for the send-off, saying: '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 also mentioned wanting pranks, such as the sound of knocking inside the coffin or a video of him asking his doctor for a second opinion on his diagnosis of 'death'.
Osbourne lived to see a global celebration of his legacy during his farewell show with Black Sabbath weeks ago, when the original four members played their first gig together in two decades at Villa Park in Birmingham. The concert raised £140m for three charities.
