Following the death of rock legend Ozzy Osbourne at the age of 76, comments have resurfaced detailing exactly what he wants to happen at his funeral.
His family yesterday (22 July) released a statement saying he had died 'surrounded by love' just a few weeks after he performed his last ever concert.
Ozzy and Black Sabbath had reunited at Villa Park for their final show, with the lead singer in a throne during his time on stage and singing to around 40,000 people in the stadium and several million more watching along on a livestream.
The concert has raised around £140 million for Birmingham Children’s Hospital, Acorn Children’s Hospice and Cure Parkinson's, an incredible way for the Prince of Darkness himself to bow out of the business.
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Tributes have poured in for Osbourne from across the world of music, a testament to how much of an impact he had on the industry, and while his legacy will live on his body will be laid to rest.
Fortunately, his loved ones have a blueprint for what his funeral should be like from the man himself, as in 2011 Ozzy explained to The Times exactly what he was wanting from the ceremony.
He said: "I do want to make sure it’s a celebration, not a mope-fest. I’d also like some pranks: maybe the sound of knocking inside the coffin; or a video of me asking my doctor for a second opinion on his diagnosis of 'death'.
"There’ll be no harping on the bad times."
The music legend had said that 'a bit of planning is the right thing to do for the family you leave behind' and they'll know what he was hoping for from his funeral.
"It’s worth remembering that a lot of people see nothing but misery their whole lives," he said as he explained why he wanted to put the fun in funeral.
"So by any measure, most of us in this country - especially rock stars like me - are very lucky. That’s why I don’t want my funeral to be sad. I want it to be a time to say 'thanks'."
In his final years Ozzy suffered from a series of health problems including a Parkinson's diagnosis, though he was determined to perform again.
In 2022 after performing at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham Ozzy declared that he 'refused to f**king die' until he put on another show and vowed he would 'get back on that stage if it kills me'.
He did manage to do that with his final farewell performance, an event which was already hugely emotional as it was touted as his swansong and has only become more poignant following his death.
Even if Ozzy is gone his name will live on, people will still listen to his music and there will be plenty of children whose time at Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Acorn Children’s Hospice will go easier because of the money he raised during his final performance.
It's quite a legacy.
Topics: Ozzy Osbourne, Music, Celebrity
Joe Harker