Ozzy Osbourne Laid to Rest in Private Burial, Honored with Final Wishes

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Ozzy Osbourne, the pioneering frontman of Black Sabbath and one of rock’s most iconic figures, has been laid to rest in a private ceremony that honored his final wishes, down to the very words he once joked should appear on his gravestone.

The 79-year-old musician passed away last week after living with Parkinson’s disease since 2019. In the days following his death, fans around the world paid tribute to the “Prince of Darkness,” culminating in a public procession through his hometown of Birmingham, England.

On Wednesday, a hearse carrying Osbourne’s coffin made a slow journey past his childhood home, arriving in Birmingham city centre, where hundreds of fans gathered to say goodbye. His wife, Sharon Osbourne, along with their children Jack, Aimee, and Kelly, were present as crowds laid floral tributes and balloons around the Black Sabbath commemorative bench. A brass band played renditions of Black Sabbath classics while fans tossed flowers at the hearse, creating a deeply emotional yet fitting farewell for the legendary figure.

Osbourne had long spoken about his wishes for his funeral and burial. In a 2011 Q&A with The Times, he said he didn’t care what music was played at his funeral, even joking that it could include Justin Bieber and Susan Boyle, but insisted the day should feel like a celebration rather than a somber event. In his 2010 autobiography I Am Ozzy, he wrote that he didn’t want to be cremated and instead hoped to be buried in a garden beneath a crabapple tree “so [his] kids can make wine out of [him] and get p***ed out of their heads.”

As for his epitaph, Osbourne humorously envisioned a gravestone that would read:
“Ozzy Osbourne, born 1948. Died, whenever. He bit the head off a bat.”, a reference to the infamous 1982 moment when he unknowingly bit into a live bat on stage, a defining moment in rock history.

According to MailOnline, a second, private burial took place on Thursday at Osbourne’s estate near Gerrards Cross. The grave is located beside a lake on the property’s 250 acres. A bouquet of purple flowers spelling out “Ozzy” and additional arrangements reading “OZZY F**KING OSBOURNE” were placed near the grave, paying tribute in true Osbourne fashion.

Though the world mourns the loss, Ozzy Osbourne’s farewell was exactly what he’d always wanted: unconventional, unforgettable, and unapologetically him.