Thousands of heavy metal fans have lined the streets of Birmingham for the funeral procession of Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne, who died earlier this month at the age of 76.
The cortege of the singer known as the "Prince of Darkness" and the "Godfather of Heavy Metal" was driven through his home city in central England before a private funeral.
It stopped at a bench dedicated to the musical pioneers and Osbourne's wife Sharon and their family looked at some of the thousands of flowers and tributes left by fans.
The family waved and made peace signs to the crowd.
"Ozzy, Ozzy, Ozzy, oi, oi, oi," some fans screamed as the hearse arrived.
Osbourne had said he did not want his funeral to be a "mope-fest" and celebration was mixed with sadness on the streets, with a New Orleans-style brass band leading the procession.
The hearse carrying Osbourne's coffin passed the star's childhood home in Lodge Road, Aston, about 12.45pm on Wednesday on its route into Birmingham city centre.
Graham Croucher, a 58-year-old train driver from Northampton, said Osbourne was an "absolute legend".
"He was the soundtrack particularly to my life growing up," he said.
"Black Sabbath are the originators of heavy metal and made such great music. And he dared to be different because he was different."
Since Osbourne's death was announced, fans have made pilgrimages to sites around Birmingham, which has embraced its reputation as the birthplace of heavy metal.
"Ozzy was more than a music legend - he was a son of Birmingham," the Lord Mayor of Birmingham Zafar Iqbal said.
"We know how much this moment will mean to his fans."
This month, Osbourne played a final concert in the city where a star-studded line-up featuring Metallica, Slayer, Tool and Guns N' Roses paid tribute to Black Sabbath's legacy.
Black Sabbath hits Paranoid, War Pigs and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath made Osbourne a star in the early 1970s and his antics on stage, most famously biting the head off a bat, extended his fame far beyond metal music.
In 2002, he won new fans when he starred in US reality TV show The Osbournes with Sharon and two of his children, Jack and Kelly.
He died on July 22.
No cause of death was given but the star had disclosed a Parkinson's disease diagnosis in 2020.
with AP and PA