Drake Joins Grieving Fans in Birmingham to Honor Ozzy Osbourne: A Midnight Tribute to the Prince of Darkness

Just hours after news broke of Ozzy Osbourne’s death, Birmingham—the hometown of the Prince of Darkness—transformed into a living memorial. Fans and mourners gathered at the now-iconic Black Sabbath Bench to pay tribute with flowers, beer, tequila, and tears. But one visitor stood out among the black-clad metalheads in Birmingham – international rap superstar Drake.

Yes, that Drake.

At approximately 1:45 a.m. on Wednesday, as dozens of grieving fans stood quietly around the bench near the Black Sabbath Bridge, a sleek, black SUV pulled up and out stepped Drake, currently on tour in the UK, who made a brief but poignant appearance at the tribute site. “I just came out to pay respects to someone who lived it to the fullest,” Drake told a reporter at the scene. He then poured a splash of tequila onto the ground in Ozzy Osbourne’s honor—a fitting gesture for a rock icon whose decades-long battle with addiction never dulled his love for life, or for his fans.

The scene was surreal and emotional. Some fans left handwritten notes saying “Gracias Ozzy,” while others lined the bench with cans of beer and Jack Daniel’s bottles—an homage to Ozzy Osbourne’s famously wild lifestyle. One mourner, sobbing quietly, said she’d been listening to Ozzy’s music since she was 10. Another had driven four hours from a vacation stop just to snap a picture with the bench.

Drake had posted on his Instagram about the Ozzy Osbourne tribute along with a reporter, which seems to have been deleted now. 

Ozzy Osbourne, born John Michael Osbourne in 1948, rose from the working-class streets of Birmingham to global superstardom as the frontman of Black Sabbath. Often credited as the godfather of heavy metal,  Ozzy Osbourne’s influence stretched far beyond genre boundaries. His persona—the Prince of Darkness—was both an aesthetic and a philosophy, blending grit, gothic showmanship, and raw vulnerability.

A mural of Ozzy Osbourne in Birmingham

Birmingham has long celebrated its most infamous musical son. In addition to the Black Sabbath bench and bridge, a towering mural of Osbourne’s face now watches over the city. And today, it stands as both a landmark and a symbol of global mourning.

The Osbourne family released a brief but heartfelt statement: “It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love.”

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As fans continue to gather in Birmingham, it’s clear Ozzy’s legacy endures—not only through his music, but through the cultural touchstone he became. His death marks the end of an era—but also reminds the world of the power of music to unite generations, genres, and even global superstars.

At Black Sabbath Bench in Birmingham, Drake’s final words on Ozzy Osbourne before disappearing into the night summed it up: “He was larger than life.”