Ozzy Osbourne has been laid to his final rest. The legendary Black Sabbath singer was tributed with a procession through the streets of his hometown in Birmingham on Wednesday ahead of the private funeral, with fans arriving worldwide to give their final goodbyes. As the hearse began driving in the streets of Birmingham, it was one tearjerking detail that stood out on his casket.

Ozzy Osbourne, the lead singer of heavy metal group Black Sabbath and nicknamed “The Prince of Darkness,” died last week at the age of 76. At the time, his family announced the news, saying: “He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.”

Tributes poured in from around the world as celebrities such as Elton John and Rod Stewart also paid their respects. Osbourne had struggled with health issues for decades. In 2003, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease but didn’t publicly reveal it until 2019.

Up until his death, he was very outspoken and vocal about the disease, donating millions to charities fighting Parkinson’s. Earlier this month, Osbourne played a farewell concert with Black Sabbath in Birmingham. The event raised more than £1 million for local charities, supporting children’s causes and Parkinson’s research.

On Wednesday, July 30, Ozzy Osbourne was laid to his final rest, which started with a funeral cortege passing through his home city of Birmingham. The hearse traveled along Broad Street to Black Sabbath Bridge and the Black Sabbath bench, a site that, as described by The Guardian, was covered with “thousands of messages, floral tributes and vigils.”

Family and fans say goodbye to Ozzy Osbourne

Lord Mayor Zafar Iqbal told the Guardian: “It was important to the city that we support a fitting, dignified tribute ahead of a private family funeral. We know how much this moment will mean to his fans.”

The Osbourne family, consisting of wife Sharon and children Kelly and Jack, and possibly his other children, paid for the funeral cortege and all costs associated with it by themselves. However, details of the private funeral later on Wednesday were not made public.

The local brass band Bostin Brass played as the procession moved through Birmingham, with members of Black Sabbath also having roles. The hearse stopped at the Black Sabbath Bridge bench, where Ozzy’s family was met with a sea of flowers as they approached the site.

Sharon, joined by her children with Ozzy, Kelly, Jack, and Aimee, read tributes to their beloved late husband and father as Sharon broke down in tears and was comforted by her daughter, Kelly, who laid a protective hand on her mother’s shoulder.

Ozzy and Sharon were married for more than four decades. In 2022, she said, “Over 52 years we have been friends, lovers, husband and wife, grandparents and soulmates.”

Meanwhile, Ozzy described Sharon as “the only one I’ve ever loved in my life.”

Beautiful tribute next to Ozzy Osbourne’s casket

Ozzy Osbourne was known as the “Prince of Darkness.” Still, while black is usually the color associated with it, that was not the legendary singer’s full repertoire. The color purple became somewhat associated with Ozzy as he usually wore purple glasses. Moreover, as he did a famous cover of the song “Purple Haze,” originally by Jimi Hendrix, the color purple became even more associated with him.

Therefore, it was no surprise that the color purple would have some role when fans got to say their last goodbyes as the hearse drove through Birmingham. Beside his casket, dark purple flowers spelled out his name. On the car’s roof, more flowers, including purple ones in the shape of a cross, could be seen.

More than a decade before his passing, Ozzy Osbourne spoke about his wishes for his funeral. Per the NY Post, the singer was asked in a 2011 column for the Times about his plans for the funeral, for which he had a clear answer.

“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,” Ozzy wrote. “But I do want to make sure it’s a celebration, not a mope-fest.”

“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.”

Ozzy wanted his funeral to be “a time to say thanks”

Ozzy Osbourne continued, “So to answer your question, yes, a bit of planning is the right thing to do for the family you leave behind,” adding that it’s

Osbourne added that 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,” Ozzy concluded.

Rest in peace, Ozzy Osbourne. Please share your best memories of him in the comment section on Facebook and pay tribute to the Prince of Darkness..