A signed electric guitar by rock icon Ozzy Osbourne has sold for £15,000 at a charity auction during a fundraising dinner. The 2024 Gibson SG was auctioned at the event, which raised a total of £179,570 for Acorns Children’s Hospice.
The event, held at the ICC in Birmingham, featured performances headlined by The Specials’ singer Neville Staple and was inspired by the BBC drama This Town.
Osbourne’s guitar, also signed by a stellar lineup of rock and metal legends including Jack Black, Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Billy Idol, Wolfgang Van Halen, Jelly Roll, Tool’s Maynard Keenan, Metallica’s Robert Trujillo, Zakk Wylde, Andrew Watt, and Steve Stevens, was a highlight of the evening.
Proceeds will benefit Acorns Children’s Hospice, along with Cure Parkinson’s and Birmingham Children’s Hospital. Acorns, supported by Aston Villa and with bases in Birmingham, Walsall, and Worcester, has cared for over 780 children and supported over 1,000 families across the West Midlands in the past year.
The dinner event on Friday featured recreated sets from This Town, which is set in the West Midlands in the 1980s. Special guests included the show’s creator Steven Knight, along with cast members Levi Brown, Ben Rose, and Eve Austin.
Acorns stated that the funds raised during the This Town Gala Dinner will help the charity continue its vital care for children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions and provide support for their families.
The charity offers a network of specialist palliative nursing care and support for local children and their families in the hospice, community and at home. The services provided include short breaks for children at the hospices, therapeutic and psychosocial support, support for siblings and other family members, emergency and end of life care and bereavement support.
Osbourne, a two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, generously donated the guitar in support of Acorns and its important work.
His donation follows the announcement of his reunion with Black Sabbath for a final performance in July, titled Back to the Beginning, at Villa Park. A portion of the proceeds from the show will also be donated to Acorns.
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