My friends , please be upstanding for a brief introduction from Ozzy the Bull.
https://1drv.ms/v/c/c2d34a5a31d3ed4a/IQBaP5Q11bUtRqgyAekvteb_AaiTd0AxlhL3layOqa1fkrA
‘I have a genuine love affair with my audience. When I’m on stage, they’re not privileged to see me. It’s a privilege for me to see them’
Words from a man who held the whole world in his hands, his manner was reflective, appreciative and humble as he recounted his life, from the streets of Aston B6 to the dizzying heights of fame and fortune that most of us can only dream about.
Ozzy Osbourne, alongside his bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward- was open about his upbringing, he was open about his struggles, and he was open about his amazement as to what people thought about him and the music, with Black Sabbath and as a solo artist. The sound of ‘heavy metal’ as we know it emerged from factories, it was steeped in hardship and poverty, and it was not going to be easy to forge a life in the music business.
I always found him a joy to listen to, he was funny, thoughtful and very down to earth, obviously I never knew him, it’s the impression that I got of him. He had a larger than life character that captured an audience and, we all got to see him at his home, living his daily life with his family and pets.
Unfortunately, I was not in Villa Park on July 5th, 2025, for the ‘Back to the Beginning’ concert, but I was outside with the crowds who had gathered to hear his voice and catch a glimpse of the show as we peered between the trees and the scaffolding. Some of us brave enough to climb up the trees to get a better view.
On 30th July 2025 I was amongst the thousands of people who lined the streets to pay their respects and remember our boy, who grew up to stand tall in an industry that could be as unforgiving as it was generous.
Standing with me were my newfound friends Debbie Holmes, Alan from Kinstrife, his wife Tina, who presented us with shot glasses to salute the procession as it passed by, and their son Zakk. It was a moment, that became a memory and one that I will always treasure.
‘Of all the things I’ve lost, I miss my mind the most’
The music of Black Sabbath and Ozzy has the attention and promise that very few artists can match. Arriving at a time when life was hard, working class families toughed it out in an industrial landscape that would feature as an important and impactive influence on the songs we know and love today.
Here you will find footage of the CBSO who performed a beautiful tribute under the watchful eye of Ozzy the Bull at New Street Station. This video was sent to me by my friend Guy Bellamy of Elephant Communications.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xQW2NIR6wmNS–2mAxGtgNYsI45p5ySj/view?usp=drivesdk
There is an exhibition at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery ‘Working Class Hero’ that is free to visit, where you can see key moments in his career. They have recently added the throne that Ozzy sat on during his final performance at Villa Park.
https://www.birminghammuseums.org.uk/exhibitions/working-class-hero
On Saturday 25th July 2026, the community came together to remember Ozzy in ‘Legacy of a Madman: A Tribute to the Prince of Darkness’ a celebration and a continuation of the music and the madness that is synonymous of this most beloved of scenes.
https://www.instagram.com/cotgb.uk?igsi=aG1uN2prMXRjY3Az
The creativity is there, the talent is there, the passion is there, we’ve already lost too many venues, there are struggles that need addressing and resolving, with the correct thought and care we have a brilliantly bright future in music.
Rest easy Ozzy, the conductor of the crazy train.
ALL ABOARD ha ha ha ha ha ay ay ay ay ay……
Azra Pathan