Drake pays tribute to Ozzy Osbourne in Birmingham during UK tour after metal legend’s death at 76
Photo: Reuters
Drake paid tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne in the heavy metal legend’s hometown of Birmingham on July 23, 2025, following news of Osbourne’s death at age 76. The Black Sabbath frontman passed away surrounded by family, prompting an outpouring of tributes from across the music world — including an unexpected one from the Canadian rapper.
Drake, currently touring the UK and Europe with PARTYNEXTDOOR on his $ome $pecial $hows 4 UK EU tour, happened to be performing in Birmingham when news of Osbourne’s passing broke. According to The New York Times, the rapper visited the Black Sabbath Bench, a local monument honoring the iconic band, where he joined fans in mourning. Drake reportedly poured tequila on the ground and said, “I just came out to pay respects to someone who lived it to the fullest,” describing Osbourne as a “cultural touchstone” — even for those unfamiliar with his music.
Later that evening, still in Birmingham, Drake opened his final show at the Utilita Arena by walking onstage to Black Sabbath’s classic track “Iron Man.” Addressing the crowd, he declared: “Hey Birmingham! Rest in peace to the legendary Ozzy Osbourne.”
Drake walked out to ‘Iron Man’ by Black Sabbath in Birmingham tonight in honor of Ozzy Osbourne 🕊️ pic.twitter.com/hOGibJsugJ
His tribute came just days after Osbourne’s final public appearance at a historic reunion concert in Birmingham. Held at Villa Park, the Back To The Beginning concert reunited the original Black Sabbath lineup — Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward — for the first time since 2005. Speaking to ITV News, Iommi said the show “meant everything” to Osbourne and speculated he “held out” to perform one last time. The concert, which also featured Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Tool, and more, became the highest-grossing charity show in history.
Tributes have also come from Billie Joe Armstrong, Elton John, Ghost, Jack White, and others — reflecting the immense influence Osbourne had across generations and genres.