AssetID: 54950088
Headline: UNCAPTIONED: Ozzy Osbourne's funeral procession to be held in Birmingham on Wednesday
Caption: Ozzy Osbourne will be laid to rest in Birmingham, England on Wednesday after a special funeral procession through his hometown. The Black Sabbath rocker passed away at the age of 76 on 22 July, just weeks after his final live show at Villa Park in Birmingham. It has now been revealed that his funeral will be held privately in his hometown after a special public procession for fans. The cortège will travel along Broad Street in the city centre from around 1pm and make its way towards the Black Sabbath Bridge and bench, where it will pause for fans to pay their final respects. The area has become a gathering spot for mourners, who have covered the site in floral tributes and messages. The city's Lord Mayor, Councillor Zafar Iqbal, announced on Tuesday that the procession is expected to be attended by Osbourne's family before a private funeral service. Calling the musician a "son of Birmingham", Iqbal said, "He put Birmingham on the map. He put Aston on the map.” "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.” The procession will be accompanied by live music from local brass band Bostin' Brass. Fans unable to attend the event will be able to watch the live stream of the Black Sabbath Bench. Osbourne and his bandmates Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward were awarded the Freedom of the City of Birmingham in recognition of their significance as heavy metal pioneers in late June, days before their huge farewell concert on 5 July. The Crazy Train singer died almost three weeks later, after a battle with Parkinson's disease, among other health issues. Instructions: THIS VIDEO MUST NOT BE EDITED FOR LENGTH TO COMBINE WITH OTHER CONTENT
Keywords: Ozzy Osbourne,Funeral,Procession,Birmingham,Wednesday,Hometown,Villa Park,England,Singer,Black Sabbath,Rocker,Bridge,Bench,Respects
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