Legendary rocker Ozzy Osbourne said he didn’t want his funeral to be a “mope-fest” — but instead a celebration of his life.
More than a decade before his death at age 76 last week, the Black Sabbath icon divulged on wishes for his funeral when the time eventually came.
Back in 2011, in a Dear Ozzy column for The Times of London, the legendary “Crazy Train” singer, often referred to as the Prince of Darkness, was questioned about his thoughts on his own memorial.
He responded by saying, “Honestly, what they play at my funeral doesn’t bother me; whether it’s a mix of Justin Bieber, Susan Boyle, or even We Are the Diddymen, as long as it makes them happy,” he shared. “What really matters is that it turns into a celebration, not a somber occasion.”
“I’d love to include some jokes too: perhaps the sound of knocking coming from the coffin; or a video showing me asking my doctor to reconsider his diagnosis of ‘death.’ I want the focus to be far from any past troubles.”
The “War Pigs” rock star then addressed the fan’s question.
“So to answer your question, yes, a bit of planning is the right thing to do for the family you leave behind.”
Ozzy added that 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,’” he added.
In 2023, Ozzy said he would “die a happy man” if he could express his gratitude to loyal fans ahead of his farewell show.
Speaking to Rolling Stone in 2023, the musician admitted that his final wish was to feel “well enough” for one more live performance before his time was up.
“If I can’t continue doing shows on a regular basis, I just want to be well enough to do one show where I can say, ‘Hi guys, thanks so much for my life,’” he told the outlet.
“That’s what I’m working towards, and if I drop down dead at the end of it, I’ll die a happy man.”
The rocker’s wish came true on July 5 when he took to the stage for the final time at his Black Sabbath farewell concert, titled “Back to the Beginning,” in Birmingham, England.
Ozzy wowed the 42,000-person crowd at Villa Park for what turned out to be his last performance in his lifetime.
Elsewhere in his 2023 interview, the rocker insisted that he “doesn’t fear death” and was well-aware that he had “at best 10 years left.”
“I don’t fear dying, but I don’t want to have a long, painful and miserable existence. I like the idea that if you have a terminal illness, you can go to a place in Switzerland and get it done quickly. I saw my father die of cancer.”
He went on, “But look, I said to Sharon [Osbourne] that I’d smoked a joint recently and she said, ‘What are you doing that for? It’ll f–king kill you!’
“I said, “How long do you want me to f–king live for?!” At best, I’ve got 10 years left and when you’re older, time picks up speed.”
“Me and Sharon had our 41st wedding anniversary recently, and that’s just unbelievable to me,” he added.
The rocker is survived by his wife, Sharon Osbourne, six children and 10 grandkids.
