The Osbournes said goodbye to their patriarch on Thursday (July 31) with a private, emotionally charged funeral at the family’s Buckinghamshire estate—fulfilling the Black Sabbath legend’s wish to be buried at home, beside the lake he loved.
Compared to Wednesday’s massive public procession in Birmingham, which saw thousands line the streets and flowers pile high across Black Sabbath Bridge, this farewell was an altogether more intimate affair.
Highlights
- Ozzy Osbourne was buried at his Buckinghamshire estate by the lake he loved.
- Rock legends including Zakk Wylde, Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie, and Black Sabbath bandmates attended the funeral.
- Ozzy’s final concert in Birmingham, attended by 40,000 fans, gave him the chance to say a final farewell.
Longtime guitarist and close friend Zakk Wylde was among the first to arrive, carrying a guitar case as he entered the gated estate. He was joined by rock royalty including Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie, both dressed in black and keeping a low profile.
“Everyone at the service just wanted to support Sharon and the kids,” an insider said.
Ozzy Osbourne has finally been laid to rest in the grounds of his own mansion
Image credits: ozzyosbourne
Guests began arriving early from a nearby country hotel, ferried in under tight security and guided through narrow country lanes toward the 250-acre estate in Gerrards Cross, which the Osbournes purchased in 1993.
Marquees lined the gardens, generators powered outdoor catering stations, and a full performance stage had been erected near the lake where Osbourne would be laid to rest.
Image credits: Getty / Joe Giddens
Despite intermittent rain, guests gathered under awnings and raised toasts to the man they affectionately called the Prince of Darkness.
“There was a stage where people including Yungblud, who grew very close to Ozzy in recent years, were set to pay tribute to him,” one attendee said.
“Toasts were raised, memories were shared. It was a very fitting goodbye.”
Image credits: SplashNews.com
Other stars seen at the event included Slipknot’s Corey Taylor and wife Alicia Dove, and Irish actor Stephen Rea all dressed in black, many wearing goth or metal-inspired attire in tribute.
Metallica’s James Hetfield, Elton John, and Ozzy’s Black Sabbath bandmates—Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward—were also present, supporting the family both musically and emotionally.
“Ozzy wanted his final place of rest to be at home, and he is buried at a beautiful point on the lake,” the source added.
The private event followed a massive two-day farewell in Birmingham, where the Osbournes were moved by the fans’ appreciation
The ceremony was the culmination of a two-day farewell that began in Birmingham, where thousands gathered for a public funeral procession down Broad Street.
A live brass band played Black Sabbath hits like “Iron Man” as the hearse passed the home Ozzy grew up in and paused at the Black Sabbath Bridge and commemorative bench.
Fans erupted into chants of “Ozzy, Ozzy, Ozzy” as Sharon, Jack, Kelly, Aimee, and Louis stood arm-in-arm, tearfully waving and placing purple flowers among thousands of tributes.
Kelly wore her father’s signature purple-tinted glasses, while Sharon broke down after laying a pink rose wrapped in black.
Jack and Kelly supported their mother at every turn, helping her in and out of the vehicle and up to the memorial. Aimee, typically private, stood quietly beside her family. At one point, Sharon threw up a peace sign to the fans, visibly moved by the fans’ love.
Ozzy was able to personally thank his fans for their support over the years at his final concert: Back to the Beginning
Image credits: Ross Halfin
Ozzy’s passing followed years of health struggles, including a Parkinson’s diagnosis in 2019. But until the very end, he kept performing, with his final concert taking place just weeks ago at Birmingham’s Villa Park stadium.
More than 40,000 fans attended what would become his sendoff, titled Back to the Beginning, where he reunited with his original bandmates and gave his final thanks.
“You’ve no idea how I feel—thank you from the bottom of my heart,” Ozzy told the crowd before fireworks lit up the sky and a message flashed across the screen: “Birmingham Forever.”
“I want to make sure it’s a celebration, not a mope-fest,” he told The Times in 2011. “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 ‘d*ath.’”
And in his autobiography I Am Ozzy, he was even clearer.
“Don’t cremate me, whatever you do. I want to be put in the ground, in a nice garden somewhere, with a tree planted over my head. A crabapple tree, preferably, so the kids can make wine out of me and get p***ed out of their heads.”
"Poor Sharon." Netizens took to social media to mourn alongside the Osbournes
