Ozzy Osbourne’s death certificate lists three roles under his occupation: songwriter, performer, and rock legend. As a death certificate is a legal document, the title of “rock legend” has raised some eyebrows. Can a person’s family members make claims like this on a death certificate? A lawyer weighed in on what is allowed.

Ozzy Osbourne’s death certificate calls him a ‘rock legend’

Osbourne’s eldest daughter with Sharon Osbourne, Aimée, filed his death certificate at a London registry. On it, she listed his occupation as “Songwriter, Performer, and Rock Legend.” While Osbourne was undoubtedly a songwriter and performer, the title of “rock legend” is more subjective.

Legal expert Adam Jones from HD Claims UK shared why a title like “rock legend” can be listed on a legal document.

“A death certificate is first and foremost a legal document,” he said. “There are very strict rules around the medical cause of death, but slightly more flexibility in the ‘occupation’ field — which is likely how a term like ‘Rock Legend’ was included. The occupation section is filled out based on information provided by the informant – usually a family member – and isn’t medically or legally verified in the same way other parts of the certificate are. So while it’s unusual, it’s not unlawful.”

That doesn’t mean that Aimée could have put just anything as Osbourne’s occupation, though. “Rock Legend” relates to Osbourne’s actual career.

“You couldn’t, for example, write something sentimental like ‘Best Dad Ever’ or anything obscene,” he said. “But descriptors like ‘legend’ – if used as part of a former occupation – fall into a bit of a grey area. Registrars tend to allow it unless it undermines the seriousness of the document.”

His former bandmate spoke about his funeral

After Osbourne’s death on July 22, his family hosted a private funeral in Birmingham, England. His former bandmate, Robert Trujillo, said it was a beautiful celebration of Osbourne’s life.

“It was a small group of people but it was very, very beautiful,” he said on the Trunk Nation podcast. “It was very sad, but at the same time, some of the speeches were, as you could imagine, pretty funny. People sharing stories, and all of a sudden there’s laughter, and ‘I remember this, I remember that.’ It felt like there was closure from this.”

Though the beginning of the funeral was rainy, the sun came out during the “amazing eulogy” given by Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler.

“The sun actually came out, and then it was beautiful from that moment on,” he said. “A very magical moment.”

Osbourne’s daughter Kelly also sang the song “Mama, I’m Coming Home” during the ceremony.

What was Ozzy Osbourne’s cause of death?

Osbourne died just weeks after performing his final concert. He publicly revealed his diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease in 2020.

Per The New York Times, Osbourne’s death certificate said he died of “(a) Out of hospital cardiac arrest (b) Acute myocardial infarction (c) Coronary artery disease and Parkinson’s disease with autonomic dysfunction (Joint Causes).”

Osbourne was 76.