A new campaign has launched to award Ozzy Osbourne the Freedom of the City in Birmingham, coinciding with his upcoming induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. We took to the streets to find out what locals think and to hear who else they believe should be recognised.
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00:00I think Ozzy Osbourne is a great guy.
00:02I think Black Sabbath was made in Birmingham
00:05and Black Sabbath made heavy metal rock,
00:08lots of waves, which has been exported across the world.
00:10It's very popular. I think Ozzy Osbourne deserves it.
00:13I think Ozzy Osbourne deserves knighthood, whatever he wants.
00:16I think he's done his time, he's served Birmingham well
00:18and he's a recognisable figure.
00:20I don't actually know who he was. No.
00:22I don't think we know enough about him.
00:25Like... Personally. Yeah.
00:28We know Sharon Osbourne.
00:30Yeah, we loved her on X Factor, but... Yeah.
00:34Yeah, I don't think we know enough about him to really comment.
00:39Do you think there's a generational divide here?
00:41I mean, older people knowing Ozzy Osbourne,
00:43but younger people not really identifying?
00:46Yeah, we only sort of know him from clips on TikTok.
00:49Yeah.
00:50With Sharon, but other than that, not really.
00:52Isn't the ball thing named after him?
00:54You know that big ball in the Grand Central?
00:56Is it? Yeah, I did know that was named after him.
00:59But I didn't... Is he a Brummie then?
01:02Oh, I didn't know. I thought he was Australian.
01:04I don't really know who that is, you know.
01:06I heard of him, I haven't heard of him before, though.
01:11Ozzy Osbourne, known worldwide as the Prince of Darkness,
01:14began his journey in Aston,
01:17where he formed Black Sabbath with Tony Iommi,
01:20Giz Butler and Bill Ward.
01:22Together, they pioneered heavy metal,
01:25defining a genre and captivating generations.
01:28Oz's unique voice and unapologetic style
01:32earned him not only fame, but a lasting legacy in music.
01:37Today, he holds global influence,
01:40yet he remains strongly tied to his roots.
01:43His impact on Birmingham's cultural identity
01:47is felt through landmarks like the Black Sabbath Bench
01:51and his star on Broad Street,
01:53marking him as one of the city's most iconic figures.