Sharon Osbourne made a poignant tribute to late husband Ozzy Osbourne during his emotional funeral procession in Birmingham yesterday.
Last week the musician – real name John Osbourne – died aged 76 following a long battle with Parkinson’s and other health problems. No official cause of death has been given.
On Wednesday, ahead of the Black Sabbath frontman’s funeral today, the Osbourne family drove through the streets of his home city as fans lined the streets to honour the Prince of Darkness.
In hugely emotional scenes Sharon and her children – Aimee 41, Kelly, 40, and Jack, 39, as well as their partners and children – got out of their cars at Black Sabbath bridge and bench on Broad Street to see the thousands of messages and tributes left by fans.
Former X Factor judge Sharon, 72, was seen sobbing while comforted by her children, who were also in tears. They stayed there for about five minutes and waved to the crowd, who chanted ‘Ozzy’.
Aside from the initial statement from the family announcing Osbourne’s death, Sharon is yet to comment publicly following the loss of her husband of 43 years.
However, during the procession, Sharon commemorated her husband by wearing his wedding ring.
When waving to the crowd, she was photographed wearing two gold necklaces – with the longer one having a thick gold ring featuring a row of diamonds on it.
Many fans clocked on to the tribute quickly, with user Digital Gal posting on X: ‘Sharon Osbourne wearing Ozzy’s wedding ring on a chain around her neck at his funeral is absolutely heartbreaking.’
‘Sharon Osbourne wearing Ozzy’s wedding ring in a chain around her neck while mourning him. We love you Shaz,’ Tish shared.
‘Seeing Sharon wear Ozzy’s ring on a necklace…completely wrecked me,’ Gina added.
The distinctive piece of jewellery is believed to be Ozzy’s wedding band, with the musician regularly photographed wearing it in recent years.
It’s been reported he has been wearing the ring since they renewed their vows in 2017.
Sharon was initially Ozzy’s manager, going on to marry him in 1982. The couple shared three children, while he also had daughter Jessica and son Louis with first wife Thelma Riley and adopted her son Elliot from a previous relationship.
Yesterday the rest of the family also honoured Osbourne with subtle tributes.
Kelly was seen wearing a pair of her father’s sunglasses, while Jack wore a small silver cross pin on the end of his tie – a reference to Ozzy’s signature pendant.
Aimee pinned a bat brooch to her blazer while Louis wore a purple tie featuring a skull and crossbones.
Sharon and Ozzy married on July 4, 1982, in Maui, Hawaii, but renewed their vows twice throughout their decades-long marriage.
The first renewal ceremony was shown on their MTV reality show The Osbournes, in an episode titled, My Big Fat Jewish Wedding which aired in 2003.
At the time she said: ‘My darling Ozzy, for 20 years you’ve been my life partner. We’ve shared joys, sorrows, triumph and tragedy, and every day with you in my life is a blessing beyond my wildest dreams.’
They renewed their vows again in 2017 at a ‘family get-together at a hotel’.
Osbourne once spoke about plans for his funeral, saying he wanted it to be a celebration and not a ‘mope-fest’.
After yesterday’s public tribute to the musician, there will be a private closed service specifically for loved ones at a church in Gerrards Cross, Bucks today.
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