Jelly Roll bowed his head and cried like a child at Ozzy Osbourne’s casket – then stepped forward, wiped away his tears, and sang “Dreamer” with all his heart.

“I was a lost child until I heard him sing,” he said. “And now, I send him to rest.”

Jelly Roll’s Tearful Tribute at Ozzy Osbourne’s Funeral: Singing ‘Dreamer’ to a Savior

On July 30, 2025, Birmingham’s Black Sabbath Bridge became a shrine to Ozzy Osbourne, the heavy metal titan who passed at 76, weeks after his final, triumphant performance at Villa Park. Amid the rain-soaked tributes of flowers, whisky, and notes, the private chapel memorial drew family and music icons, but one moment pierced the heart of all present. Jelly Roll, the country-rap star, stood at Ozzy’s casket, head bowed, crying like a child. Then, wiping his tears, he stepped forward and sang “Dreamer” with a raw, soulful intensity that silenced the room. “I was a lost child until I heard him sing,” he said afterward. “And now, I send him to rest.” His performance was a testament to a man who shaped his life, a farewell as raw as Ozzy’s own legacy.

The funeral was a blend of celebration and sorrow, honoring Ozzy’s 2011 Sunday Times wish for a joyful send-off with The Beatles’ A Day in the Life as his exit song. Fans lined the streets, their tributes joined by Bostin’ Brass playing “Paranoid,” while the chapel service, attended by Sharon, Kelly, and Jack Osbourne, alongside figures like Tony Iommi, was intimate. Jelly Roll’s presence, though unexpected, was fitting. Known for his genre-blending mix of country, rap, and rock, and his candid tales of addiction and redemption, Jelly Roll—born Jason DeFord—shared a spiritual kinship with Ozzy, whose music guided him through his darkest days.

Jelly Roll’s connection to Ozzy began in the early 2000s, when he was a teenager in Nashville’s Antioch neighborhood, battling addiction and cycling through jail. In a 2023 Billboard interview, he recalled hearing Ozzy’s “Dreamer” on a prison radio in 2002, its lyrics—“I’m just a dreamer, I dream my life away”—striking a chord. The song, from Ozzy’s 2001 Down to Earth album, was a hopeful plea for a better world, a stark contrast to his heavier anthems like “Crazy Train.” For Jelly Roll, then a “lost child” facing a felony charge, Ozzy’s voice was a lifeline, a reminder that redemption was possible. He later credited the song with inspiring his own music, particularly his 2020 track “Save Me,” which echoes “Dreamer”’s raw vulnerability.

Their bond deepened in 2022 at Ozzfest, where Jelly Roll, then rising with Ballads of the Broken, met Ozzy backstage. Sources close to the singer, speaking anonymously due to the private nature of the encounter, say Ozzy recognized a fellow survivor in Jelly Roll’s tattooed frame and candid lyrics. They spoke for hours about overcoming addiction—Ozzy’s decades-long battle with drugs and alcohol, Jelly Roll’s with pills and prison. Ozzy, impressed by Jelly Roll’s hustle, gave him a signed vinyl of Down to Earth, inscribing it: “Keep dreaming, kid.” That moment fueled Jelly Roll’s 2023 album Whitsitt Chapel, which blended gospel and grit in a way that nodded to Ozzy’s influence.

At the funeral, Jelly Roll arrived alone, his usual swagger replaced by quiet reverence. As Sharon shared memories of Ozzy’s resilience, Jelly Roll stood by the casket, his head bowed, tears streaming down his face. The sight of the 6’1”, heavily tattooed rapper weeping openly moved the room—Kelly Osbourne clutched her brother Jack’s hand, while Sharon’s eyes softened. Unable to speak when invited to share, Jelly Roll instead stepped forward, wiped his tears with his sleeve, and began to sing “Dreamer” a cappella. His voice, gravelly yet tender, carried the weight of his past—years of pain transformed into hope. The lyrics—“Gazing through the window at the world outside”—rang out, a mirror to Ozzy’s own dreams of peace despite a life of chaos.

The chapel fell silent. Sharon’s shoulders shook, Iommi’s head bowed, and mourners like Carrie Underwood, who had sung earlier, wiped their eyes. Jelly Roll’s voice cracked on the chorus, but he pushed through, his baritone filling the room with a rawness that echoed Ozzy’s own performances. The song, stripped of its original piano and guitar, was a prayer, a farewell to the man who showed him that broken souls could still dream. An insider later said, “He was singing to Ozzy, not for the room—it was like they were back in that Ozzfest moment, just the two of them.”

Jelly Roll’s performance wasn’t recorded, preserving its sanctity, but word spread quickly. Fans outside, gathered in the rain, caught wind through whispers, and X lit up with posts praising his courage. Some linked “Dreamer” to Jelly Roll’s own “Son of a Sinner,” seeing parallels in their redemptive arcs. Others recalled his 2024 CMT Awards speech, where he thanked Ozzy for “showing me how to rise.” The black rose placed by Rihanna earlier seemed to resonate with Jelly Roll’s song, both tributes honoring Ozzy’s untamed spirit.

The choice of “Dreamer” was deeply personal. Its message of hope amid darkness mirrored Jelly Roll’s journey from incarceration to stardom, much like Ozzy’s own path from Birmingham’s streets to global fame. Ozzy’s final Back to the Beginning show at Villa Park, where he performed “Mama, I’m Coming Home” from a bat-themed throne, had inspired Jelly Roll, who watched the livestream and texted Sharon his admiration. His funeral performance was a way to close that circle, sending Ozzy to rest with the song that saved him.

After singing, Jelly Roll spoke briefly, his voice breaking: “I was a lost child until I heard him sing. And now, I send him to rest.” He returned to his seat, head bowed again, as Sharon embraced him, whispering her thanks. The funeral’s public procession, with fans chanting and brass playing, celebrated Ozzy’s legacy, but Jelly Roll’s moment was its soul. His tears and song, raw and unfiltered, reflected the man who taught him to dream through the darkness.

Jelly Roll’s tribute at Ozzy’s casket wasn’t just a performance—it was a vow to carry forward the hope Ozzy instilled. As Birmingham mourned, his voice, hoarse with grief, proved that even in loss, a dreamer’s spirit lives on, guiding lost children home.