As the world mourns the loss of Ozzy Osbourne, a new petition has been launched to provide a fitting tribute by renaming an airport in his honor.
Osbourne passed away on Tuesday (July 22) at the age of 76, just 17 days after making his final appearance as part of the Back to the Beginning concert in his hometown of Birmingham, England.
It’s Birmingham where U.K. podcaster, comedian, and radio host Dan Hudson has set his sights, launching a new petition to have Birmingham Airport renamed for Osbourne.
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“Ozzy Osbourne was the most important musician ever to hail from Birmingham,” Hudson’s petition explained. “He rose to fame as the lead vocalist of the pioneering rock band Black Sabbath, who invented the genre of heavy metal.
“Ozzy’s influence on music and culture is undeniable. Naming our international airport after him would be a fitting tribute to his extraordinary career and contributions to the arts.”
As Hudson points out, other famous U.K. identities have found themselves with airports named after them, including footballer George Best in Belfast, Northern Ireland; and The Beatles’ John Lennon in Liverpool, England.
Internationally, other musicians have also been given a similar honor, including Louis Armstrong in New Orleans; Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in Salzburg, Austria; and Ástor Piazzolla in Mar del Plata, Argentina.
“It is only right that we do this here in Birmingham, in honour of Ozzy,” Hudson adds. “Together, we can celebrate the legacy of Ozzy Osbourne and the incredible influence our city has had on the world stage, thanks to him.”
At the time of publication, the petition has just exceeded 10,000 verified signatures, though it’s unclear how many – if any – will be enough to kickstart the renaming process.
In June – just six days before Osbourne’s final concert – the founding members of Black Sabbath were awarded the Freedom of the City of Birmingham.
“This is a great working class city, and we’re all working class, from Aston,” said bassist Terence “Geezer” Butler in a statement. “We weren’t given a chance when we started out, but Birmingham has always been behind us.”
The nascent recognition was far from the first time that Birmingham has recognized the continuing impact of Black Sabbath. In 2019, Birmingham named both a bench and a bridge after the band.
In April 2024, Osbourne stated his desire to visit the bench, claiming he would do so “if I have to crawl there.” It’s unknown, however, if he ever did so before his passing.
