'I went to Ozzy Osbourne's funeral and won't forget what fans did to ease Sharon's pain'

Ozzy Osbourne had a send-off fitting for a prince in Birmingham today.

Hundreds of his fansflocked to his beloved hometown of Birmingham to say a final farewell to the Prince of Darkness.

I was lucky enough to be among those able to attend his last journey along Broad Street in the city as fans gathered in respect to the Black Sabbath icon.

What stood out was the sheer love and adoration Ozzyhad both in life and death. It was clear to see exactly what he meant to so many different types of people, which spanned far more than music. He was a reality TV master, becoming the very first to let cameras into his home and follow his life with wife Sharon and their kids. Ozzy became known for his personality just as much as his music, which certainly stands the test of time thanks to both Black Sabbath and his solo material.

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Just over three weeks ago, Ozzy made an epic return to Villa Park for one final time as he was joined by other rock greats for one of the most touching retirement shows ever.

He had wished for years to return back home to his beloved England after years in the States. Thankfully, his desire came true as Sharon did everything she could to settle them back in their Buckinghamshire mansion.

When announcing the sad news of his death on social media, a poignant detail was spotted by fans that offered comfort. The statement was tagged with the location 'Birmingham, United Kingdom,' showing how Ozzy died where he loved.

Today, Ozzy made one final journey through his city and passed by Black Sabbath Bridge that had been filled with tributes over the past week. His adoring family, Sharon, Jack, Kelly, Aimee and Louis were right behind him ever step of the way as they started at Villa Park before making their way into the city.

It was so apparent just what Ozzy meant to them, the family patriarch and pillar of strength throughout many tough times.

Sharon had even paid for today's procession to take place as it was clear she understood just what it would mean to both Ozzy and his fans.

Her generous parting gift proves the deep love she has for her late husband and how she wishes to share that with the world.

And the fans were very understanding with that gift as they did everything they could to try ease the family’s pain.

Through chants of ‘Ozzy, Ozzy, Ozzy’ ‘we love you Sharon’ and ‘we love you Osbournes, we do’ to pubs blasting out Ozzy’s poignant hit Changes, they tried to do everything they could to show them they are with them in their grief.

While I expected it to be a sombre and quiet occasion, there was also celebration and joy in the air.

It was one last chance to show Ozzy just what he means to so many people from all walks of life, with joy, humour and a dashing of rock n roll - I’m certain the Prince of Darkness would have approved.

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