Sharon Osbourne Shares Ozzy’s Advice for the First Anniversary of His Death

On the first anniversary of Ozzy Osbourne’s death, Sharon Osbourne returned to his hometown with a simple instruction from the man himself. Speaking to the BBC in Birmingham as the city celebrated its first Ozzy Day, she recalled what the metal pioneer told her to do when he was gone. “As Ozzy would say, ‘When you want to remember me, just yank up the music really loud, as loud as you can get it, and just head bang,’” she said.

The moment cut through the formalities of a public memorial. Sharon, who had traveled to the place where Ozzy was born and where Black Sabbath forged their sound, emphasized his directness. “He was authentic. He never tried to be anything other than what he was, and he would tell you the truth about everything,” she added. The couple’s long marriage, full of chaos and humor, surfaced in her description: even their worst arguments ended in laughter because “he would say something so ridiculous that we would just crack up.”

Ozzy Day itself, she insisted, belonged nowhere else. “This is the home of metal. It’s Ozzy’s home, it’s where he was born, what he loved and it wouldn’t work anywhere else.” Her words grounded the tribute in a city still carrying his legacy. Meanwhile, Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler marked the anniversary on Instagram, posting a photo of Ozzy on his bat throne. “I am so glad we were able to do the final show, back in our hometown, just a couple of weeks before Ozzy left us,” he wrote. “Gone in body, but his legend lives on. Ozzy forever!”