Birmingham city centre 'changed for the worse' as many back Ozzy Osbourne Station Street fight

Ozzy Osbourne has joined a star-studded campaign to save under-threat Station Street, saying that he "didn't recognise" the city centre after spending so long away from it. Birmingham Live readers agree with the Black Sabbath frontman in our comments section, railing against "the disruption and demolition that has been inflicted on the city for the last 20 years".

The Save Station Street campaign aims to secure the futures of venues like The Electric Cinema, and The Crown Inn pub where Black Sabbath made their live debut under the name "Earth". In a video for the campaign, Ozzy appeared with Sharon Osbourne, where he said: "When I went up to Birmingham after a long way of being away from it, I didn't recognise it ... People who are not from Birmingham want to knock it all down."

And Sharon agreed: "When I started to go back to the city, it's very cosmopolitan, it's cleaned up, but it's got so much heritage."

Commenter Chosen in 1957 says: “Ozzie has a massive legacy in the music industry and he has so many influential friend and colleagues in the music industry. As he says the whole of Station Steet in its entirety MUST be left intact."

"People have compared The Crown with The Cavern Club in Liverpool and it's part in our musical heritage. The Cavern is not the original building whereas The Crown is virtually unaltered in its original location."

"It's vital that this unique street that also includes the historic Rep theatre and Electric cinema must not be redeveloped into just another concrete jungle. Continue the fight Ozzie, you are our greatest asset and inspiration.”

User Pinthecorners writes: “Just because you might leave your birth city doesn't mean you lose the love and memories. Ozzy is spot on for me in that the soul of Birmingham city centre has and is being demolished...”

Maggies Boy says: “Have to agree with him, got nothing against progress but the disruption and demolition that has been inflicted on the city for the last 20 years has been so detrimental. All the spirit and atmosphere has gone, the markets are now appalling and Dale End is just a ghost town.”

Tel365 writes: “Developers are doing this in most cities in England, saying that it's for the better if some building is sparkling new. In reality these locust developers don't give 2 hoots about where they build, as all they care about is MONEY.”

LOT9H talks about parts of the city left untouched: “I mean he's not got the best memory, but you can see how it has changed from old pictures. He's also not wrong, and I'm glad to see he's still aware enough to know that. But, a lot of this city needed work done. 60% of the changes were necessary, although I have legitimately hated every single building ever built for student accommodation."

"I guess it's just sad that the bits he hung around HAVE changed, and for the worse. The bits I hang about have changed for the better though. The city centre has changed to become identikit to any other European city, but outside that it has the same vibe as it always did."

"Ozzy is just too old and rich to bother going into the hidden bits; the industrial estates, and pubs that never had a chance to change. I reckon he could visit Smethwick and find it looks about the same barring the colour of the bus-stops.”

What other pieces of lost Birmingham city centre heritage would you have saved, given the chance? Comment below, and join in on the conversation.