A campaign to officially designate July 22 as “Ozzy Osbourne Day” is gaining significant traction following a public endorsement from the Black Sabbath legend’s own family.
According to a report by the BBC, a petition launched by Canadian fan Marvin Daw has collected more than 13,000 signatures urging authorities to establish the date as an annual celebration of the singer’s life and impact. The movement received a massive boost after Kelly Osbourne acknowledged the campaign on social media, sparking a wave of new interest.
“After she did that my feed has been blowing up,” Daw told the BBC. “People are signing this petition like crazy so I’m really happy about that.”
The proposed holiday envisions a day dedicated to “fan events, tribute concerts, community celebrations, and fundraiser opportunities,” specifically aiming to benefit causes championed by the late singer, such as Parkinson’s research.
For Daw, the initiative is about honoring a figure who defined a genre.
“I grew up on Ozzy’s energy, personality and influence,” he explained. “He was a tremendous performer, he’s contributed to Parkinson’s research, and he’s done so much for heavy metal… Let’s do it in his hometown, and make it a day of celebrations, and get people together.”
The idea is finding favor within Osbourne‘s native Birmingham as well. Sam Watson of Central BID, an organization supporting the city’s retail and leisure sectors, expressed enthusiasm for the project, citing the economic and cultural impact Osbourne had on the city.
“We need to bring the city to life, flood it with purple and have the music playing in the streets because we really should be celebrating,” Watson said. “He was our working class hero and will forever be in our hearts… An Ozzy Osbourne day is a huge yes from me.”
Watson noted the tangible effect Osbourne had on the city’s tourism, referencing the massive crowds that gathered for his final performance at Villa Park in July.
“The energy that we saw that came into this city when Black Sabbath were playing their final gig… The amount of people that came – it was the biggest footfall of the year that we have seen outside of Christmas time.”
This push for a dedicated day follows a separate, ultimately unsuccessful campaign to rename Birmingham Airport in Osbourne‘s honor. That petition garnered nearly 77,000 signatures and support from Kelly Osbourne, who called it “an incredible tribute to him and the legacy he left behind.”
However, Airport CEO Nick Barton confirmed that while they will install a permanent artistic tribute to Osbourne inside the terminal, a name change is off the table.
“Birmingham, amazingly, has an extraordinary list of fantastically influential people… but the answer is no,” Barton told BBC Radio WM.
Fans wishing to support the current “Ozzy Osbourne Day” initiative can find the petition at change.org.
