Hundreds dress up as Ozzy Osbourne for Mardi Gras in New Orleans parade
Honouring the Prince of Darkness
Ozzy Osbourne was honoured at the Mardi Gras in New Orleans over the weekend by 225 fans who got dressed as the late-great Black Sabbath legend and paraded through the streets.
Belfast-born, New Orleans-based author Stephen Rea, who was Ozzy’s close friend for over four decades, was one of the participants who paid tribute to The Prince of Darkness at the parade.
The Ozzy fans wore black wigs, trademark Ozzy glasses, black attire, crucifixes around their necks and T-shirts emblazoned with an iconic Mick Hutson photo of Ozzy.
Speaking to the BBC before the Mardi Gras in New Orleans march, Stephen Rea said of theme: "There was only ever going to be one choice this year. The greatest rock singer the world's ever seen."
He continued: "I would love to get everybody across for Ozzy's celebration in July in Birmingham. With the one-year anniversary (of Ozzy’s death), I think there are plans for that."
Stephen Rea wrote the acclaimed November 2025 book Ozzy & Me: Life Lessons, Wild Stories, and Unexpected Epiphanies from Forty Years of Friendship with the Prince of Darkness.
Featuring a foreword from Jack Osbourne, it’s described as ‘an entertaining, heartwarming memoir detailing the adventures and valuable life lessons learned from the author’s four decades of friendship with Ozzy Osbourne and the Osbourne family.’
The 50 greatest rock singers of all time:
50) Beth Hart
49) Sebastian Bach
Bands a member of: Skid Row, Madam X, Damnocracy, solo artist
48) Elvis Presley
47) Mike Patton
Bands a member of: Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, Fantômas, Tomahawk, Dead Cross, Peeping Tom, Lovage, Kaada/Patton, Hemophiliac, Nevermen
46) Layne Staley
Bands a member of: Alice in Chains, Mad Season, Class of '99
45) Sammy Hagar
Bands a member of: Van Halen, Montrose, Sammy Hagar & the Waboritas, Chickenfoot, Sammy Hagar and the Circle, Hagar Schon Aaronson Shrieve, Planet Us.
44) Chester Bennington
Bands a member of: Linkin Park, Dead by Sunrise, Grey Daze, Kings of Chaos, Stone Temple Pilots
43) Jon Anderson
Bands a member of: Yes, The Warriors, Mabel Greer's Toyshop, ,Jon and Vangelis, Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe, Yes featuring Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin, Rick Wakeman
42) Bruce Springsteen
41) David Draiman
Bands a member of: Disturbed
40) James Hetfield
Bands a member of: Metallica
39) Dave Grohl
Bands a member of: Foo Fighters (vocals, guitar); Nirvana, Them Crooked Vultures, Scream, Mondo Generator (drummer and backing vocals); Sound City Players, (vocals, guitar and drums); Probot (lead guitar, drums, bass)
38) Geddy Lee
Bands a member of: Rush, The Big Dirty Band (bass only).
37) Steve Marriott
Bands a member of: Small Faces, Humble Pie, solo artist
36) David Bowie
35) Shane Greenhall
Bands a member of: Those Damn Crows
34) Danny Vaughn
Bands a member of: Tyketto, Waysted, Vaughn, Snake Oil & Harmony, solo
33) Mick Jagger
Bands a member of: The Rolling Stones, From the Inside, The Illegal Eagles, Burning Kingdom
32) Lemmy
Bands a member of: Motörhead, Hawkwind, The Rockin' Vickers, Opal Butterfly, The Damned, The Head Cat, Sam Gopal
31) Jay Buchanan
Bands a member of: Rival Sons
30) Geoff Tate
Bands a member of: Queensrÿche, Operation: Mindcrime, Sweet Oblivion, solo artist
29) Eddie Vedder
Bands a member of: Pearl Jam, Temple of the Dog, Hovercraft, Bad Radio
28) Janis Joplin
Bands a member of: A solo artist who also performed with Big Brother and the Holding Company
27) Phil Lynott
Bands a member of: Thin Lizzy, Grand Slam, The Greedies, Skid Row
26) Stevie Nicks
Bands a member of: Fleetwood Mac, Buckingham Nicks and an esteemed solo artist
25) Brian Johnson
Bands a member of: AC/DC, Geordie
24) Glenn Hughes
Bands a member of: Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Trapeze, Black Country Communion, The Dead Daisies, Finders Keepers, Hughes/Thrall, Phenomena, Hughes Turner Project, Michael Men Project, Kings of Chaos, California Breed, solo artist.
23) Brent Smith
Bands a member of: Shinedown, Smith & Myers
22) Roger Daltrey
Bands a member of: The Who
21) Floor Jansen
Bands a member of: Nightwish, Northward
20) Meat Loaf
19) Axl Rose
Bands a member of: Guns N' Roses, Hollywood Rose, L.A. Guns
18) Steven Tyler
Bands a member of: Aerosmith, Chain Reaction
17) Noddy Holder
Bands a member of: Slade
16) Steve Perry
Bands a member of: Journey, solo artist
15) Rob Halford
Bands a member of: Judas Priest, Halford, Fight, 2wo
14) Ozzy Osbourne
Bands a member of: Black Sabbath, solo artist
13) Danny Bowes
Bands a member of: Thunder, Terraplane, Nuthin' Fancy, Bowes & Morley
12) Lzzy Hale
Bands a member of: Halestorm, Skid Row (temporary singer)
11) Bon Scott
Bands a member of: AC/DC, Fraternity, The Valentines, The Spektors
10) Chris Cornell
Bands a member of: Soundgarden, Audioslave, Temple of the Dog, solo artist
9) Ian Gillan
Bands a member of: Deep Purple, Gillan, Black Sabbath, The Javelins, Episode Six, Ian Gillan Band, Gillan & Glover, WhoCares
8) Ann Wilson
Bands a member of: Heart, solo artist
7) David Coverdale
Bands a member of: Whitesnake, Deep Purple, Coverdale-Page
6) Bruce Dickinson
Bands a member of: Iron Maiden, Samson, solo artist
5) Myles Kennedy
Bands a member of: Alter Bridge, Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators, Kings of Chaos, solo artist
4) Paul Rodgers
Bands a member of: Free, Bad Company, The Firm, The Law, Queen + Paul Rodgers, solo artist
3) Robert Plant
Bands a member of: Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Band of Joy, The Honeydrippers, various solo bands
2) Ronnie James Dio
Bands a member of: Dio, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, Rainbow, Elf, Ronnie & The Red Caps, Ronnie Dio & The Prophets, The Electric Elves, The Elves
1) Freddie Mercury
Bands a member of: Queen, Ibex Sour, Milk Sea