Ozzy Osbourne's cheeky nod to controversial career moment in his final farewell

Black Sabbath legend Ozzy Osbourne has proved just as batty in death as he was in life. The Prince of Darkness has created a light-hearted moment from beyond the grave because his final resting place is surrounded by bat boxes.

Heavy metal singer Ozzy caused the most controversy in his colourful career by biting off a bat’s head. On Wednesday, thousands of fans in Birmingham paid their respects to Ozzy as his cortege passed through the streets of his home city.

The next day, the 76-year-old was laid to rest beside a serene lake in a private ceremony at his Buckinghamshire country estate. Alongside the lake was a giant floral tribute saying: “Ozzy F***ing Osbourne”. It comes after wife Sharon broke down in tears at Ozzy's funeral in heartbreaking scenes.

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A family friend said the bat boxes in trees by the lake, installed a few years ago in an estate upgrade, had provided moments of humour as they grieved.

The insider said: “This was like a classic Ozzy move. The man loved humour and this sure would have tickled him pink knowing how close friends reacted to this bat situation.

“After all those decades caught up in this drama around bats and animal rights groups, here at his final resting place there are bespoke bat boxes to help encourage the animals thrive in the UK countryside. It has prompted quite a few laughs and funny ­reactions. It is just like Ozzy had the last laugh.”

Ozzy bit the bat during his Diary of a Madman tour in Des Moines’ Veterans Memorial Auditorium in January 1982 thinking it was a toy. The infamous incident outraged animal charities, but cemented his place into rock and roll history as the craziest artist of all time.

In 2010 memoir I Am Ozzy, the star insisted that the bat was already dead, but regretted his action after needing daily rabies shots for months.

Buckinghamshire has focused on improving the “conservation of bats and their habitats” and encourages many planning applicants to include bird or bat boxes in schemes. The region is home to many brown-long eared and pipistrelle bats.

Ozzy and wife Sharon, 72, spent more than £1million upgrading Welders House estate for their return to the UK in 2023, including a new wing to the mansion, a gym, recording facilities and lift giving the rocker, who had Parkinson’s disease, access to the upstairs bedroom. The lake was doubled in size with fish added.

Sharon and Ozzy’s children – Jack, 39, Kelly, 40, Aimee, 41, and Louis, 50 – were joined by music stars for Thursday’s ceremony at the250-acre estate near Gerrards Cross.

Among them were his bandmates, including Zakk Wylde, Metallica frontman James Hetfield, rock star Marilyn Manson, Sir Elton John and singer Yungblud.

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