Tributes to the late Ozzy Osbourne left in the singer’s home city of Birmingham are being taken down before being passed on to his family.
Birmingham City Council has begun the task of removing thousands of messages in honour of the Black Sabbath frontman following his death last month, aged 76.
Heavy metal fans have flocked to the city to pay their respects, with a sea of flowers, keepsake items and handwritten notes amassing at Black Sabbath Bridge – a city centre spot where a bench commemorates the band’s formation.
“The love, support and beautiful messages I’ve received from so many of you have truly helped carry me through the hardest moment of my life,” his daughter Kelly said on Monday.
“Every kind word, every shared memory, every bit of compassion has meant more than I can ever explain.
“Grief is a strange thing – it sneaks up on you in waves – I will not be ok for a while – but knowing my family are not alone in our pain makes a difference.”
She added in the Instagram post: “I’m holding on tight to the love, the light, and the legacy left behind.”
The tributes would be preserved and stored at a secure location, the council said, with any that had got wet in the rain dried out before storage.
“In due course, they will be passed on to the Osbourne family, so they may keep them as a lasting reminder of the public’s affection and support,” the authority stated.
It added the collection would be photographed and curated while it liaised with the Osbourne family on where it would go next.
Among the tributes – which also gathered at a Sabbath mural on Navigation Street – was an old concert ticket from 1995.
Kate Brazier, head of city centre events at the council, said: “We’ve found all sorts – artwork, cans of beer and candles. We’ve found a box of tea with a message that says ‘just in case you can’t find a cuppa in heaven’.
“But for me, the one that stands out the most is [the concert ticket] that someone’s left a message on. It probably meant a lot to someone at one point in their life.”
A statement from The Osbourne family said: “We are deeply moved by the heartfelt tributes that have been placed at the Black Sabbath Bridge and at the Black Sabbath mural on Navigation Street in recent days.
“These expressions of remembrance reflect the profound impact that Ozzy had on the city and its people, as well as fans from around the world – BIRMINGHAM FOREVER!”
Lord Mayor of Birmingham Zafar Iqbal said: “We understand how important it is for the community to have a space to grieve and celebrate Ozzy’s legacy.
“We know fans will continue to pay their respects at the bench at the Black Sabbath Bridge and the mural on Navigation Street, as well as visiting the Ozzy exhibition.”
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