“I Am Sailing…” — Rod Stewart Fulfills Ozzy Osbourne’s Final Wish in Private Sunrise Farewell
What could make the self-proclaimed “Prince of Darkness” ask for something so tender, so personal, as his final farewell?
In a quiet moment years ago, away from stages and spotlights, Ozzy Osbourne confided in an old friend — Sir Rod Stewart. The request was simple, but profound: “When I go, mate… sing me out. And make it ‘Sailing’. That song… it feels like peace.”
That time came at dawn on July 24, as the sky over Buckinghamshire turned pale gold. Surrounded by family and a few close friends, Ozzy was laid to rest in a private memorial ceremony, honoring not the rock god, but the man behind the madness. And true to that long-held promise, Rod Stewart stood beside the casket, holding back tears as he prepared to deliver one of the most emotionally charged performances of his life.
The setting was intimate: a candlelit chapel adorned with white lilies, with soft sunlight piercing through stained glass. No cameras. No stage. Just a microphone, a piano, and a friendship that had spanned decades.
Rod’s voice cracked as he began the opening lines of “Sailing”, the 1975 ballad that once topped the UK charts — but in that moment, it was no longer just a hit song. It became Ozzy’s final send-off.
“I am sailing, I am sailing, home again, ‘cross the sea…”
Sharon Osbourne was seen clutching her chest, tears silently falling as she whispered the lyrics along. Kelly and Jack held hands. A few members of Black Sabbath reportedly sat in the back, heads bowed. The song echoed through the silence — not loud, not theatrical — but raw, reverent, and utterly human.
Though the public may never see the footage, word of the tribute has since swept across social media and newsrooms, confirming what fans long suspected: Ozzy Osbourne, for all his darkness, chose to be remembered in light.
As one mourner whispered after the final note:
“He lived wild… but he left us with grace.”
