BREAKING: Black Sabbath Founder Tony Iommi C…read more.
Yesterday, in the heart of Birmingham, Tony Iommi stood alone to say a final goodbye to his oldest friend and bandmate, Ozzy Osbourne. The funeral was held quietly at St. Martin’s Church, just a short drive from the neighborhood where Black Sabbath was born. And though the world mourned loudly, the ceremony itself was intimate, stripped of spectacle just as Ozzy had wished.
The man who helped create heavy metal had been laid to rest, and it was only fitting that the last word came from the man who started it all with him: Tony Iommi.
“From Aston to the End”
Dressed in black, his face heavy with grief, Tony stepped to the pulpit and paused. The church was quiet not because of reverence, but because everyone knew: no one else could tell this story the way he could.
“Ozzy and I met in Aston when we were just kids,” Tony began. “Back then, we didn’t have anything but a dream and a couple of beaten-up guitars. But together, we built something the world couldn’t ignore.”
He let the silence settle in before continuing.
“He wasn’t just a frontman. He was the soul of Black Sabbath. My brother in everything we did. No matter what happened between us and trust me, a lot did we always came back to each other. That bond never broke.”
A Gentle Moment for a Loud Life
The funeral wasn’t packed with celebrities or pyrotechnics. It was simple. Honest. Human. Just like Ozzy, when the spotlight was off.
The casket was draped in a black velvet cloth with a silver crucifix resting on top. A single candle flickered beside an old photo of Ozzy in his 20s wide-eyed, grinning, defiant. A track quietly played in the background: “Planet Caravan.” Slow. Trippy. A Sabbath song, but soft and strangely peaceful.
Tony stepped forward during the service to place a guitar pick on the casket, a personal ritual the two had shared at the end of every tour.
“This one’s the last, mate,” he whispered.
Outside, Birmingham Mourns
While the ceremony inside was private, the streets outside told a different story. Thousands of fans had gathered from across the UK and beyond. Many wore vintage Sabbath shirts, denim jackets covered in patches, and makeup in honor of the Prince of Darkness himself.
Some held signs that read “Thank You, Ozzy”, while others quietly cried as they sang along to his most iconic songs. Portable speakers filled the square with classics like “Iron Man,” “Mama, I’m Coming Home,” and “Crazy Train.”
One older fan, in his 60s, said through tears, “They started here, in our streets. Tony and Ozzy gave us a sound, an identity. Birmingham will never forget them.”
A Brother’s Love, Undying
As the funeral drew to a close, Tony Iommi addressed the mourners one final time.
“We all knew this day would come,” he said, voice cracking slightly. “But it doesn’t make it easier. I’ve lost my friend, my partner, my brother.”
He looked down at the casket. “There’ll never be another like you, Ozzy. You were madness, magic, and music all rolled into one. I’ll miss you more than I can put into words.”
Then, with a deep breath and a final nod, Tony stepped back, and the soft intro to “Dreamer” began to play. The room sat still, letting Ozzy’s voice carry them through one last time.
The End of an Era
Ozzy Osbourne was laid to rest yesterday, but his legacy and his brotherhood with Tony Iommi lives on. For more than fifty years, they stood side by side, shaping the sound of a generation. And even in silence, the echoes of what they created continue to roar.
Tony said it best:
“We started together, and now I walk alone. But your voice will never leave me.”
Goodnight, Ozzy. From Tony. From Birmingham. From the world.
