Tens of thousands of mourners lined Birmingham’s streets on Wednesday as a hearse carrying Ozzy Osbourne made a slow journey through the city where the Black Sabbath front-man was born and first found fame. The public cortege, organised with Birmingham City Council, began near Aston—close to Osbourne’s childhood home—and rolled down Broad Street before a private family funeral later in the day. A floral display spelling “Ozzy” in purple flowers covered the casket, which was accompanied by local ensemble Bostin Brass playing brass-band versions of “Iron Man”, “Crazy Train” and other classics. The procession paused at the Black Sabbath Bridge and Bench, a landmark that has become a shrine since the 76-year-old singer’s death on 22 July. Fans in Black Sabbath shirts chanted “Ozzy, Ozzy, Ozzy” while balconies and pavements overflowed with well-wishers. Osbourne’s widow, Sharon, and their children Aimee, Kelly and Jack stepped from their vehicles to lay flowers and acknowledge the crowd with peace signs—an echo of the gesture the rocker often flashed on stage. Mayor Zafar Iqbal thanked the family for funding the event and called the performer “a son of Birmingham who put the city on the global map.” Broad Street was closed to traffic from 7 a.m. to manage the turnout. The farewell came just weeks after Osbourne’s final appearance at the all-star ‘Back to the Beginning’ benefit at Villa Park on 5 July, a concert that, according to Billboard, raised about $190 million for charities including Birmingham Children’s Hospital. Osbourne, who had lived with Parkinson’s disease since 2019, had long said he wanted his funeral to be a celebration rather than “a mope-fest”—a wish his hometown appeared keen to honour.