Officials in Ozzy Osbourne’s hometown of Birmingham, England, have announced plans to create a permanent tribute to their native son by preserving The Crown pub, the historic site where Black Sabbath played their first-ever gig. The move is part of a broader city-wide effort to build on the “incredible legacy” of a man the region’s mayor called a “working-class lad that made the most of his raw genius.”
Speaking on Wednesday, July 23, just a day after Osbourne‘s passing at age 76, West Midlands mayor Richard Parker stood before the Black Sabbath mural on Navigation Street and spoke of the deep connection between the industrial city and the sound it helped create.
“He’s one of us, there is an enormous amount of pride – he was forged by this place and he put this place on the map,” Parker said. He described Osbourne as the leader of “a fantastic band that was shaped by the city, the place he lived, by the furnaces, the factories, the lathes.”
Central to the city’s plan is the preservation of The Crown pub, a hallowed site in heavy metal history. “We need to find a way of building on that legacy,” the mayor stated. “I’m hoping that the work the city council is doing with other campaigners and with the owners of that property, we can also make The Crown a fitting tribute to the legend and the legacy of Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath.”
The mayor emphasized the mutual love between Osbourne and his hometown, which was on full display in the final weeks of his life. Parker noted how thankful he was that Ozzy was able to receive the Freedom of the City of Birmingham award in June and to perform his final concert at Villa Park on July 5.
“The fact that (Ozzy) came down here and wanted to play their final gig here meant a lot,” Parker said. “There was hardly a conversation he had that didn’t mention where he came from and how much this city meant to him.”
As officials plan for the future, the citizens of Birmingham are actively mourning their hero in the present. Fans have been leaving flowers and tributes at the Black Sabbath mural, and a book of condolence has been opened at the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, which is currently hosting an exhibition aptly titled “Ozzy Osbourne: Working Class Hero.”
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