‘Ozzy was the saviour of weirdos and rebels’

Hundreds of Black Sabbath fans gathered in Birmingham city centre to pay tribute to Ozzy Osbourne.

The memorial meet-up was held in the city’s Victoria Square, before fans went to visit shrines across the city.

Organiser Ash Farley, from Bartley Green, said he had set up the event to celebrate “being part of Birmingham and the metal community”, as well as the singer’s life.

People had come from “far and wide,” he said, “obviously because he’s a worldwide icon”.

The response to the event had been “astronomical”, he added, with about 300 fans turning out.

“[Ozzy] was the forefather of metal and a voice of rebellion for the outsiders,” he said.

“And he showed you can make dreams come true, and changed people’s lives.”

One of those attending the meet, Abbigail Moore, said the artist had meant a lot to her growing up.

“My mum and dad brought me up on him and just made me a metal head,” she explained.

“He gave me a lot of courage to just be who I am and not be afraid of what people say about me.”

She described the singer, who died on Tuesday, as “a man of the people”.

“He built an entire empire, created metal, and gave people that didn’t have a platform, a platform to stand up for themselves,” she said.

“He gave me a lot of courage to just be who I am and not be afraid of what people say about me.”

Also coming into the city centre was Birmingham resident Kieran Merriman, who described the meet as a “celebration of the man that helped me realise who I am and make me feel welcome”.

He said: “Ozzy and Black Sabbath created this genre of music so that weirdos, rebels and mischiefs alike can all have this place to come together and be themselves.

It was an opportunity to celebrate the city as well as the artists, he added.

“It’s so heart-warming to just be a part of that city that gave birth to metal.”

Brooke Moore, who also attended the event, said Ozzy had “given me the courage to do a lot of things that I wouldn’t have been able to do if I didn’t have this kind of scene around me.”

“I was really sad when he died,” she said.

“He’s proved to a lot of people that if you come from nothing you can still make something of yourself.”

Tina Angell, who has been a fan since the age of 15, travelled from Southampton for the event.

She said: “He’s been with me for all of my life; he’s helped me for every day of my life – through the ups and through the downs.

“I can’t think of anything other than when I have been down his music’s on full blast and he keeps me going, and keeps me sane.

“I feel like every song he’s made, he made for me.”