“TRIBUTE”
“Ozzy was more than a music legend – he was a son of Birmingham,” Zafar Iqbal, the lord mayor of the central English city, said in a statement.
“It was important to the city that we support a fitting, dignified tribute ahead of a private family funeral.
“We’re proud to host it here with his loving family in the place where it all began,” Iqbal, who could be seen hugging family members when the procession stopped in central Birmingham, added.
Black Sabbath enjoyed huge commercial success in the 1970s and 80s after forming in Birmingham in 1968.
Their eponymous 1970 debut album made the UK top 10 and paved the way for a string of hit records, including their most famous song “Paranoid”.
The group went on to sell more than 75 million albums worldwide and were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. Osbourne was added for a second time last year as a solo artist.
Osbourne gained notoriety for his outlandish stunts, many fueled by his legendary indulgence in drugs and alcohol.
In 1989, he was arrested for drunkenly trying to strangle his wife, Sharon, which he once mentioned in a 2007 interview.
His live performances at the height of his hedonism have gone down in rock folklore, particularly the 1982 gig in the US city of Des Moines when he bit a bat on stage.
Osbourne said he thought a fan had thrown a rubber bat onstage, and it was not until he took a bite that he realised it was real.
