The “ home of metal ” is honoring one of its most cherished sons. Thousands of Black Sabbath fans were paying their respects Wednesday to frontman Ozzy Osbourne as his hearse made its way through the streets of Birmingham, the English city where he grew up and where the band was formed in 1968.

Sharon and Kelly Osbourne — who starred alongside Ozzy in the family's genre-defining reality show — were in tears as they lay flowers at the Black Sabbath Bridge in Birmingham, England.

Tens of thousands of people lined the streets of the central England city where Black Sabbath was formed to catch a glimpse of the heavy metal icon’s hearse.