BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) \u2014 The \u201chome of metal\u201d is honoring one of its most cherished sons.<\/p>\n
Thousands of Black Sabbath fans were paying their respects Wednesday to frontman Ozzy Osbourne<\/a> as his hearse made its way through the streets of Birmingham, the English city where he grew up and where the band was formed in 1968.<\/p>\n The hearse carrying Osbourne, who died last Tuesday at the age of 76<\/a>, was making its way down Broad Street, the city\u2019s major thoroughfare, to the Black Sabbath bench, which was unveiled on the Broad Street canal bridge in 2019.<\/p>\n \u201cOzzy, Ozzy, Ozzy, oi, oi, oi,\u201d fans screamed as the hearse arrived. <\/p>\n Six vehicles carrying the Osbourne family, who paid for the procession, followed. The family emerged briefly, with his wife of 43 years Sharon visibly moved.<\/p>\n Long-time fan Antony Hunt said it has been an \u201cemotional\u201d day and that he wanted to be in the city to pay his respects.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s amazing is there\u2019s so many, such a wide variety of age groups, from little, little children, teenagers to people in their 60s, 70s, so it\u2019s great to see that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Since Osbourne\u2019s death was announced, fans have made pilgrimages to sites around Birmingham, which has embraced its reputation as the birthplace of heavy metal. Among his peers, the singer was metal\u2019s godfather.<\/p>\n \u201cOzzy was more than a music legend \u2014 he was a son of Birmingham,\u201d said city official Zafar Iqbal. \u201cWe know how much this moment will mean to his fans.\u201d<\/p>\n Osbourne and his Black Sabbath bandmates, Terence Butler, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward, were recently awarded the Freedom of the City in recognition of their services to Birmingham.<\/p>\n Black Sabbath\u2019s story began in Birmingham in 1968 when the four original members were looking to escape a life of factory work. Without doubt, the sound and fury of heavy metal had its roots in the city\u2019s manufacturing heritage. Osbourne never forgot his working-class roots, and his Brummie accent remained.<\/p>\n Black Sabbath has been widely credited with defining and popularizing the sound of heavy metal \u2014 aggressive, but full of melodies.<\/p>\n Osbourne was the band\u2019s frontman during its peak period in the 1970s.<\/p>\n His antics, on and off stage, were legendary, and often fueled by drink and drugs. He was widely known as the \u201cPrince of Darkness.\u201d<\/p>\n The band\u2019s eponymous debut album in 1970 made the U.K. top 10 and paved the way for a string of hit albums, including 1971\u2019s \u201cMaster of Reality\u201d and \u201cVol. 4\u201d a year later. It went on to become one of the most influential and successful metal bands of all time, selling more than 75 million albums worldwide.<\/p>\n