In the wake of his passing on Tuesday, July 22, past interviews with Ozzy Osbourne have resurfaced, painting a perfect self-portrait of how the “Prince of Darkness” wished to be remembered: with a joyous, prank-filled party, not a somber affair. The comments reveal a man who, despite his iconic persona, was filled with profound gratitude and a legendary, dark sense of humor.
While his family has not yet announced official funeral plans, the rock icon made his wishes clear over the years. In a candid 2011 interview with The Times, Osbourne insisted he wanted his final send-off to be a “celebration, not a mope-fest.”
“There’ll be no harping on the bad times,” he said. “It’s worth remembering that a lot of people see nothing but misery their whole lives, so by any measure, most of us in this country — especially rock stars like me — are very lucky. That’s why I don’t want my funeral to be sad, I want it to be a time to say ‘thanks’.”
True to form, he approached the details with his trademark wit. He joked about potential pranks, like “the sound of knocking inside the coffin” or a video of him asking his doctor for a second opinion on the diagnosis of “death.”
When it came to the music, he was initially flippant. “I honestly don’t care what they play at my funeral; they can put on a medley of Justin Bieber, Susan Boyle and We Are the Diddymen if it makes ’em happy,” he quipped.
Years later, in a 2016 interview with NME, he had refined his musical taste for the occasion, revealing his deep love for The Beatles. “I really need a few more years to think this over, but probably something from ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band‘ or Revolver,” he said.
However, he had one firm rule for the playlist, delivered with classic Ozzy candor: “I definitely don’t want my f**king greatest hits album – I never ever play that thing, I’m f**king embarrassed about it. And I definitely don’t want a f**king happy song – I’m dead.”
While the world awaits official news, Osbourne did get to experience a massive global celebration of his life and legacy just weeks before his death. The “Back To The Beginning” concert on July 5 saw him take the stage one last time with his original Black Sabbath bandmates in their shared hometown, a triumphant and joyous farewell that in many ways fulfilled the very wish he had for his own funeral.
