Meaning behind Sharon Osbourne’s heartbreaking gesture to Ozzy as she pays tribute during his procession
Sharon was joined by her three children, Jack, Kelly, and the rarely-seen Aimee, as the family gathered to pay their respects alongside thousands of fans who lined the streets of Birmingham on Wednesday (30 July).
A sea of floral tributes had been left at the iconic Black Sabbath bench, and Sharon and her children each left a lilac flower wrapped in black paper on top of the hundreds of bouquets left by heartbroken fans.
A black hearse travelled the streets of Birmingham, with a purple cross on top and flowers spelling out Ozzy’s name.
The frontman of Black Sabbath and reality TV star passed away at the age of 76 last week, just weeks after performing at the iconic Back To The Beginning farewell concert held in his honour.
Sharon Osbourne was supported by children Jack and Kelly as they placed floral tributes to the late Ozzy Osbourne in Birmingham, UK (Loannis Alexopoulos/Anadolu via Getty Images)
His family released a statement at the time, saying: “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. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.”
As well as laying a floral tribute for her late husband, an incredibly emotional Sharon was spotted raising two peace signs to the sky before breaking down in tears.
Many fans of the band have interpreted this as a touching tribute to Ozzy, who was known for the gesture.
A fan shared their reasoning on Facebook: “Just an observation from a guy who has been a Sabbath/Ozzy fan since the 70s. Some will say I am nit picking and not respecting how others view things. But I am seeing a lot of posts and pictures of billboards with images of the devil horns hand sign.
Sharon and her children gathered to pay tribute to Ozzy, with the widow showing two peace signs (Loannis Alexopoulos/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“Now I know that sign has become the ‘official’ sign of rock and roll, but Ozzy’s gesture has always been the double peace sign.
“It was [Ronnie James] Dio that did the horns and made them popular with rock and roll long after Ozzy had been doing the double peace signs. Let’s all please remember just another one of the things that Ozzy brought us!”
Ronnie James Dio, who died in 2010, joined Black Sabbath in 1979 after the band fired Ozzy. He performed as the band’s frontman until 1982, before joining briefly in the early 1990s.
During the funeral procession today, the hearse passed by Ozzy’s childhood home, a two-bedroom terrace house at 14 Lodge Road in Birmingham.
It wasn’t revealed to fans that the cortege would pass the location, with many gathering opposite the famous Black Sabbath bench and lining the publicized route.
Ozzy was known for throwing double peace signs (Fin Costello/Redferns/Getty Images)
Many fans threw flowers onto the front of the hearse as it passed by, while accompanied by the sounds of the Bostin Brass band playing covers of Ozzy’s songs.
Sharon was seen sharing a hug with the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Zafar Iqbal, who talked about what Ozzy meant to the people of the city.
He said: “Ozzy was more than a music legend – he was a son of Birmingham. Having recently been awarded the Freedom of the City and following his celebrated appearance at the Back to the Beginning concert at Villa Park earlier this month, 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.
“We’re proud to host it here with his loving family in the place where it all began, and we are grateful that they have generously offered to pay to enable this to happen and support the city is giving him the farewell he deserves.”
Kelly had previously paid tribute to her father by wearing his iconic purple round glasses.
The Black Sabbath frontman died at the age of 76 last week (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
Ozzy previously told The Times about his opinions on his funeral: “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. 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. It’s worth remembering that a lot of people see nothing but misery their whole lives.
Sharon Osbourne granted her husband, Ozzy Osbourne one final wish before he passed away.
On Tuesday (July 22), Ozzy‘s family announced that he had sadly died, ‘surrounded by love’ at the age of 76.
Back in 2019, Ozzy was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, which is a progressive, neurological condition in which different areas of the brain become damaged over time.
It is reported that Ozzy was also suffering from other health issues at the time of his death, although a cause of death has not been confirmed.
Prior to his passing, Sharon organised Ozzy returning to his home town in the UK, for the Back to the Beginning benefit concert, where Ozzy performed alongside Black Sabbath, raising $189 million for charity.
Sharon granted Ozzy one final wish (Gregg DeGuire/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
Other bands taking part included Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Slayer and Anthrax.
“The only place that we could do it would have been Aston, because that’s where Ozzy was born and grew up, which is right where the Villa ground is,” Sharon told Music Business Worldwide.
“I thought of having all the bands he’s ever had relationships with perform and maybe do Sabbath songs and Ozzy songs.
“It became a celebration of the music.
“All the generations are going to be there that Sabbath and Ozzy have passed the torch down to.”
Ozzy was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2019 (Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
At the time, she added to The Sun that Ozzy was ‘very happy to be coming back and very emotional about this’.
“Parkinson’s is a progressive disease. It’s not something you can stabilize. It affects different parts of the body, and it’s affected his legs,” she said.
“But his voice is as good as it’s ever been.”
After performing at the concert, Ozzy told fans: “You’ve no idea how I feel – thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Ozzy and Sharon in 1985 (Dave Hogan/Getty Images)
Following Ozzy’s death, the family shared a statement.
It read: “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.
“We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.”
Ozzy leaves behind his wife, Sharon, and their children, Aimee, Kelly and Jack. He is also survived by Jessica and Louis, from his first marriage to Thelma Riley, as well as his grandchildren.
Tributes have been pouring in for Ozzy, including from his boyhood soccer club, Aston Villa.
They penned in a statement posted to Twitter: “Aston Villa Football Club is saddened to learn that world-renowned rockstar and Villan, Ozzy Osbourne has passed away.
“Growing up in Aston, not far from Villa Park, Ozzy always held a special connection to the club and the community he came from.
“The thoughts of everyone at Aston Villa are with his wife Sharon, his family, friends, and countless fans at this extremely difficult time.
Ozzy Osbourne revealed his funeral plans prior to his death at the age of 76.
Ozzy passed away earlier this week, with his family confirming his death in a touching statement.
It read: “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.
“We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.”
Back in 2019, Ozzy was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, which is a progressive, neurological condition in which different areas of the brain become damaged over time.
While Ozzy’s funeral plans have not yet been released, he once explained that he didn’t want the occasion to be sad.
The family confirmed that Ozzy Osbourne passed away earlier this week (Harry How/Getty Images)
“There’ll be no harping on the bad times,” he wrote in a column for The Times back in 2011 when a fan wrote in asking about planning his own funeral.
“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 also said he didn’t care what music they played, adding: “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.”
Although, in a later interview with NME, Ozzy explained he would choose ‘A Day In The Life’ by The Beatles.
Sharon planned a touching tribute for Ozzy prior to his death (Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
He added: “I really need a few more years to think this over, but probably something from Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band or Revolver.
“I definitely don’t want my f**king greatest hits album – I never ever play that thing, I’m f**king embarrassed about it. And I definitely don’t want a f**king happy song – I’m dead.”
Ozzy leaves behind his wife, Sharon, and their children, Aimee, Kelly and Jack. He is also survived by Jessica and Louis, from his first marriage to Thelma Riley, as well as his grandchildren.
Prior to his passing, Sharon organized for Ozzy to return to his home town in the UK for the Back to the Beginning benefit concert, where he performed alongside Black Sabbath, raising $189 million for charity.
The family shared a heartfelt statement (Kevin Mazur/WireImage)
“The only place that we could do it would have been Aston, because that’s where Ozzy was born and grew up, which is right where the Villa ground is,” Sharon told Music Business Worldwide.
“I thought of having all the bands he’s ever had relationships with perform and maybe do Sabbath songs and Ozzy songs. It became a celebration of the music.
“All the generations are going to be there that Sabbath and Ozzy have passed the torch down to.”
After performing at the concert, Ozzy told fans: “You’ve no idea how I feel – thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Ozzy Osbourne’s sister has revealed the heartbreaking text message he sent prior to his death at the age of 76.
On Tuesday (July 22), Ozzy’s family announced that he had sadly died, ‘surrounded by love’ at the age of 76.
Following Ozzy’s death, the family shared a statement.
It read: “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.
“We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.”
Ozzy leaves behind his wife, Sharon, and their children, Aimee, Kelly and Jack. He is also survived by Jessica and Louis, from his first marriage to Thelma Riley, as well as his grandchildren.
Ozzy and wife, Sharon (Jean-Paul Aussenard/WireImage)
Now, Ozzy’s sister, Jean Powell, has spoken about her brother and the last time they spoke.
Jean told the Daily Mirror: “We saw him in Birmingham the other week when he and the rest of the band were given the freedom of the city.
“It was upsetting because he could not stand up straight, but he was still our John, still cracking the jokes.
“To us he was our brother, not a celebrity, so it’s crazy to see the outpouring of love since his death was announced.
“We just can’t believe he is gone and we won’t be getting another phone call or text from him. Every week without fail he would get in touch, either by phone or text, to ask how we were all doing and what was going on.”
Jean said they last saw Ozzy at the Back to the Beginning concert (Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)
Jean explained they had last saw Ozzy – real name John Michael Osbourne – at the concert, Back to the Beginning.
“He was frail but it still came as a shock,” said Jean. “He still had plans and things he wanted to do. We don’t know the details of his death, it’s still too early. It’s just so sad. I’m just thankful he died in England.
“We had an executive box in the stadium, and when I saw the sea of people waiting to see our John I just broke down.
“We didn’t really get a chance to chat much because it was such a chaotic visit. But in his last text to me he said he would be coming to Birmingham again. He said ‘I can’t wait to come back’. We were hoping to see him this week.”
Ozzy’s family released a statement (M. Tran/FilmMagic)
The revelation comes after Osbourne’s family members, including Sharon, Jack, Kelly, Aimee and Louis, came together to announce the death of the Black Sabbath star on July 22.
Osbourne’s death came just weeks on from his farewell show, when he reunited with Black Sabbath for a gig at the UK’s Villa Park.
While performing to a crowd of 42,000 fans, the singer said: “You’ve no idea how I feel – thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
In January 2020, Osbourne revealed he’d been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, a progressive neurological condition that primarily affects movement.
Animal rights organization PETA has shared a tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne – but people have been left confused.
Osbourne passed away earlier this week, with his family confirming his death in a touching statement on July 22.
It read: “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.
“We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.”
Since Osbourne’s death was announced, tributes for the Black Sabbath singer have been pouring in, including one from PETA, which shared some heartfelt words on X.
The organization said: “Rest in peace, Ozzy Osbourne – a true legend. PETA will remember the ‘Prince of Darkness’ most fondly for the gentle side he showed to animals. He’ll be missed by animal advocates the world over.”
PETA paid tribute to Ozzy Osbourne (Michael Kovac/WireImage)
PETA continued: “An icon and provocateur, Ozzy will be remembered not just for his music but for the compassion he showed animals, most recently cats, by using his fame to decry painful, crippling declawing mutilations.
“Ozzy may have taken center stage, but his wife Sharon and daughter Kelly were in perfect harmony with him when it came to defending animals. He will be deeply missed.”
After reading the post, some people were slightly confused over the tribute, with fans referencing some controversial stories from over the years.
“I honestly thought this was a satire account posting this,” one wrote.
While another said: “Bats and doves would like a word.”
The fan was referring to an incident in 1982, in which Osbourne was on stage at a gig in Des Moines, Iowa.
A fan threw a bat on stage, which Osbourne believed to be made of rubber. He bit the head off the animal and it’s still not clear if the bat was alive or dead when it was thrown.
The singer previously partnered with PETA (Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images)
Writing in his autobiography, I Am Ozzy, he explained: “Immediately, though, something felt wrong. Very wrong. For a start, my mouth was instantly full of this warm, gloopy liquid. Then the head in my mouth twitched.
“Somebody threw a bat. I just thought it was a rubber bat. And I picked it up and put it in my mouth. I bit into it. Oh no, it’s real. It was a real live bat.”
However, he previously told BBC the bat was already dead.
“This bat comes on. I thought it was one of them Hallowe’en joke bats ‘cos it had some string around its neck,” he said.
“I bite into it, and I look to my left and Sharon was going [gesturing no].
“And I’m like, what you talking about? She [says], ‘It’s a dead real bat’. And I’m… I know
Meanwhile, in another incident – while celebrating a new album in 1981 – Osbourne ‘bit the head off’ a dove, which was supposed to be released to mark the launch of his new music.
According to rock biographer Mick Wall – who wrote the book Black Sabbath: Symptoms of the Universe – Osbourne ‘pulled out one of these doves and bit its head off just to shut [a PR] up’.
“Then I did it again with the next dove… spitting the head out on the table,” he said
“That’s when they threw me out. They said I’d never work for CBS again.”
Osbourne later told Sounds magazine’s Garry Bushell that the dove was already dead.
“I wanted to make a real impression. The scam is the bird was dead. We were planning to release it there, but it died beforehand. So rather than waste it, I bit its head off. You should have seen their faces,” he said.
“They all went white. They were speechless. That girl in the pictures was screaming. Eventually, a bloke came up and said, ‘You’d better go’.”
Osbourne passed away on Tuesday (July 22) (Dave Hogan/Getty Images)
In another dark incident, Osbourne revealed in 2007 that during one drug-fueled rage, he ended up killing the family’s 17 cats.
While speaking to The Scotsman, he said: “I was taking drugs so much I was a f*****. The final straw came when I shot all our cats. We had about 17, and I went crazy and shot them all. My wife found me under the piano in a white suit, a shotgun in one hand and a knife in the other.”
Osbourne has been fully sober since 2013.
Despite the harrowing incidents, Osbourne partnered with PETA back in 2020 to speak out against the declawing of cats.
“Amputating a cat’s toes is twisted and wrong. If your couch is more important to you than your cat’s health and happiness, you don’t deserve to have an animal! Get cats a scratching post – don’t mutilate them for life,” he said at the time.
