Sharon Osbourne issues emotional plea as Birmingham honours Ozzy one year after his death

“As Ozzy would say, ‘when you want to remember me, just yank up the music really loud, as loud as you can get it, and just head bang,” she told the broadcaster.

Beyond the headbanging, Sharon urged people to “remember how funny he was – funny and charismatic and real”.

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The tribute came exactly twelve months after the rock legend’s death.

The Black Sabbath frontman died in July 2025 at the age of 76, following years of declining health after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2019.

Prior to his death, Ozzy managed one final appearance with his legendary band, reuniting with Black Sabbath for their farewell concert titled Back to the Beginning, staged at Villa Park in Birmingham.

Today, Birmingham honoured one of its most famous musical icons with a citywide celebration dubbed Ozzy Day.

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The centrepiece is an exhibition at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery entitled Ozzy Osbourne: Working Class Hero, exploring the life and legacy of the heavy metal icon.

Across the city, specially commissioned films were screened, whilst live musical performances paid homage to his catalogue.

Sharon emphasised that Birmingham was the only place such a celebration could work, describing the city as “the home of metal” and Ozzy’s birthplace.

“He loved this city, he loved its people. He was proud of being a Brummie, and that’s it,” she said.

The bond between the Osbourne family and Birmingham remains deeply personal.

“I can’t forget what Birmingham did for Ozzy; it’s such a huge part of my kids and me, and it’s who my husband is, what he is, what he will always be,” Sharon added.

Kelly and Jack Osbourne have also spoken candidly about the profound grief they have experienced since losing their father, using episodes of The Osbournes Podcast and social media to share the emotional toll of the past year.

Kelly described the loss as an “endless ache” that split her life into two chapters- the person she was before Ozzy’s death and the person she has become since.

Marking the first anniversary of his passing, she shared an emotional open letter on Instagram, writing that living without him had been the hardest thing she had ever endured.

The 40-year-old has also revealed one of her biggest regrets, breaking down in tears on the family podcast as she recalled missing the chance to say goodbye to her father on the morning he died – something they had done every day beforehand.

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Kelly later fulfilled one of Ozzy’s final wishes by performing an emotional rendition of Papa Don’t Preach during the Grammy Awards, after he had told her: “Let my daughter sing me home.”

Jack, meanwhile, has reflected on what he called the “pendulum swing” of grief, describing the emotional contrast between celebrating Ozzy’s historic farewell performance with Black Sabbath and then immediately confronting the reality of his loss.

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Speaking on The Osbournes Podcast, he said grief is “both horrible and beautiful in the way that it forces you to unpack and examine things”, adding that the process had ultimately left him feeling grateful for the time he shared with his father.

Jack has also continued to champion Ozzy’s legacy, supporting projects including the planned 2028 biopic and Birmingham’s annual Ozzy Day celebrations, while both siblings have credited their children, including Kelly’s three-year-old son, Sidney, with bringing light to the family’s darkest year.