EAGLE-eyed fans have spotted Sharon Osbourne’s heartwarming tribute to her beloved husband.
Sharon, who was married to Ozzy for 43 years, was spotted wearing his ring on her necklace as she said a tearful goodbye at the rock icon’s funeral procession today.
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Brave Sharon hugged daughter Kelly, 40, and held son Jack‘s hand as she broke down in tears while laying flowers.
She was visibly moved as she read heartfelt messages penned by fans.
Chants of “Ozzy, Ozzy, Ozzy” rang out, with many shouting messages of support for Sharon.
One could be heard saying “we love you Sharon” as she laid flowers next to the cortege.
The singer died last Tuesday aged 76, will be laid to rest tomorrow in a private family service on grounds of his home after today’s procession.
A source said: “Sharon and the family want to celebrate Ozzy’s life with his fans, with plans for the cortege to travel through Birmingham.
“Tomorrow they will have a closed service at a church in Gerrards Cross, Bucks.”
Ozzy and Sharon’s daughter Aimee, 41, who avoids the limelight, was also present and laid flowers at the memorial.
She is the eldest daughter of Sharon and Ozzy – but declined to appear on the family’s MTV reality series The Osbournes, which propelled her relatives into even greater stardom.
Also attending was Louis, the son Ozzy shared with his first wife Thelma Riley, was pictured saying his final goodbyes to his father alongside Sharon and her children.
The 50-year-old stood side-by-side with Jack, 39, Kelly, 40 and Aimee, 41, as the family followed behind the Black Sabbath icon’s hearse through the streets of Birmingham.
Thousands of fans lined the streets of Birmingham for the rock legend’s funeral procession – with many donning Black Sabbath gear and memorabilia dedicated to Ozzy.
Stoic Sharon and Aimee waved to the emotional crowds and gave peace signs to fans.
The procession was lead by a live brass band formed with local musicians from Bostin’ Brass in honour of Ozzy’s legacy.
The Jaguar hearse carrying the singer’s coffin went by his childhood home.
It was accompanied by six Mercedes funeral cars, police motorcycle riders and a police car, on Lodge Road, before making its way to Broad Street.
Musicians from Bostin Brass played Black Sabbath songs to accompany the cortege, and fans threw flowers at the hearse while it slowly passed through the city.
Fans also left tributes outside a mural on Navigation Street, which was created ahead of the Back to the Beginning concert at Villa Park, which took place a few weeks ago.
One Osbourne fan, called Goose, said he “was a family member” and said they discovered heavy metal as a teenager.
“That’s when I found, like millions of people around the world, that there was music that was for us, something that understood us,” they said.
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“We knew that there was somebody out there that felt the way that we did and it was a constant presence.
“Ozzy helped give that to the world. He was a family member. He felt like a family member to so many people and he touched so many people’s lives.”
Evie Mayo, from Wolverhampton, said the heavy metal star had inspired her and everyone in Birmingham.
She said: “I think he was so influential, he was such an inspirational person. I think he really impacted everyone here, especially in Birmingham as well.
“Now that he’s not here any more, you can feel the impact of it. He inspired a lot of people and he was a great person.”
She added: “He inspired me by… I love his music, absolutely love his music. I’m learning guitar so that I can learn some of his songs.”
Elsewhere, the Lord Mayor of Birmingham said that Osbourne was a “working class hero” who loved his city.
Osbourne and his Black Sabbath bandmates – Terence “Geezer” Butler, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward – were recently given the freedom of the city of Birmingham, which recognises people’s exceptional service to the city.
The group, which formed in 1968, is widely credited with defining and popularising the sound of heavy metal.
Osbourne, who also had a successful solo career, found a new legion of fans when he appeared in the 2000s reality TV series The Osbournes, starring alongside his wife Sharon and two youngest children, Kelly and Jack.
The music star, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2019, performed his last gig on July 5 in a concert that also saw performances from the likes of Anthrax, Metallica and Guns N’ Roses.
Osbourne died just over two weeks after Black Sabbath were reunited barely two miles from where they first played together more than 50 years ago.
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