Ozzy Osbourne, the legendary Prince of Darkness, was laid to rest on July 31st at his sprawling 250-acre estate in Buckinghamshire, England. The private ceremony was attended by 110 close friends and family, including members of Black Sabbath, Metallica’s Robert Trujillo, Zakk Wylde, Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie, and Slipknot’s Corey Taylor.
Among those deeply moved by the service was Robert Trujillo, who played bass for Ozzy between 1996 and 2003. Speaking on SiriusXM’s “Trunk Nation with Eddie Trunk” on August 7th, Trujillo offered touching details about the intimate and emotional farewell.
“It Was Very, Very Beautiful”
“It was a small group of people, but it was very, very beautiful,” Trujillo said. “And in the end, the speeches were actually… I mean, it was very sad, but at the same time some of the speeches were — as you could imagine — pretty funny. And there were a lot of tears.”
The service balanced grief with fond memories, as longtime friends and bandmates shared stories that captured the unique personality and enduring legacy of Ozzy.
Geezer Butler’s Emotional Tribute
Trujillo highlighted a particularly moving moment during Geezer Butler’s eulogy:
“[The members of] Sabbath kind of ended with their speech, especially with [bassist] Geezer [Butler]. Geezer broke down into tears. He had a hard time, obviously, speaking, and then he came back up and he delivered an amazing eulogy.”
“It Was Almost Like Ozzy Was Having Fun With Her”
According to Trujillo, the weather on the day of the service added an almost mystical feeling to the occasion. He described what felt like Ozzy’s presence being felt throughout:
“It had been raining at the beginning of the service, about an hour — I don’t know — longer than an hour before. And then as it sort of progressed through the service, the weather would change and different things would happen. When [Ozzy’s daughter] Kelly [Osbourne] was singing, her lyrics flew — the wind blew her lyrics away. It was almost like Ozzy was having fun with her.”
“And then when Geezer spoke, actually spoke, the sun came out. I’m not kidding. The sun actually came out, and then it was beautiful from that moment on — a very magical moment.”
Finding Closure in Community and Memories
Despite the heavy emotions, the service also offered moments of connection, laughter, and healing:
“And again, it’s sad, but at the same time, people [were] sharing stories,” Trujillo added. “And all of a sudden, there was laughter, and ‘I remember this’, ‘I remember that’. There were so many stories…”
“So, it felt like there was a closure from this. And I’m glad that we went — my wife Chloe and I went — and shared that and were able to have that moment with the family and everything. So it was very beautiful. And again, heartfelt words from so many people and kind of reconnecting with different musicians and bandmates, crew members, all that.”
Cause of Death: A Rock Legend’s Final Battle
According to The New York Times, Ozzy Osbourne’s death certificate officially listed his cause of death as a heart attack. The document also stated that in addition to battling Parkinson’s disease, Ozzy suffered from coronary artery disease. His occupation was fittingly noted as:
“Songwriter, Performer and Rock Legend.”
