He Was A Quiet Riot
Fatalities in the world of rock and roll are not that uncommon. This is no surprise, considering the toxic mix of drug use, booze consumption, and bravado. Quiet Riot guitarist Randy Rhoads wasn’t anything like this. He was a chill guy with amazing guitar skills who loved polka dots. Sadly, he made one catastrophically bad decision—one that ended his life just as it was getting started.
1. He Lived In Harmony
When Randy Rhoads was born—on December 6, 1956, in Santa Monica, California—his family already had a pretty full house. There were two other kids and both parents. The household was also full of music, as his mom and dad were music teachers. Sadly, this harmonious-sounding family was about to get ripped apart.
2. He Lost His Dad
Rhoads wasn’t even two years old when his dad packed up and left the family. As it turned out, there was another woman, and his father was soon remarried. Rhoads’ mom was left to raise the three kids on her own. To help make ends meet, she opened a music school in North Hollywood.
This school would have a huge impact on Rhoads’ future career.
3. He Started Early
When he was as young as seven, Rhoads started classes at his mom’s school. He had a keen interest in both The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, so he made the obvious choice to study the electric guitar. His teacher was Scott Shelly and he soon came to Rhoads’ mom with a problem. He refused to teach Rhoads any longer.
4. He Was Too Good
The problem Rhoads’ teacher had with Rhoads wasn’t a behavior issue. The problem was that the teacher felt that Rhoads was too good. He said that the student had quickly become a better guitar player than the teacher. With this amazing omen, a career in music seemed like a sure thing for Rhoads.
But first, he had to survive middle school.
Andrew King, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
5. He Was An Outsider
Rhoads had a best friend in middle school named Kelly Garni. Sadly, this was the only friend Rhoads had. The other kids at John Muir Middle School didn’t like Rhoads—or Garni—because they looked weird and didn’t fit into the typical high school categories. Thank goodness Rhoads had his interest in music to fall back on.
And on one special night, his interest became an obsession.
6. His Life Changed
On July 11, 1971, Rhoads made his way into the Long Beach Auditorium. The plan was to see Alice Cooper, but what happened was more than a concert. It was a life-changing event. During the show, Rhoads’ brother said that Rhoads became almost catatonic. In Cooper, Rhoads could see his future, and he couldn’t wait to get it started.
Hunter Desportes, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
7. They Were A Quiet Riot
Rhoads fast-tracked through high school and then started teaching at his mom’s music school. He soon gathered together a group of musicians to form a new band. There was Garni, Keven DuBrow, Drew Forsyth, and himself. Together they became Quiet Riot and started playing gigs around LA.
And Rhoads stood out for a comical reason.
The Howlin' Wolf, CC BY-SA 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
8. He Loved Polka Dots
It didn’t take long for Quiet Riot to make a splash on the LA rock scene. One thing that fans noticed was Rhoads’ love of polka dots. They were on his clothes and even on his guitar. Soon, fans started dressing in polka dots to honor Rhoads. Quiet Riot was causing a stir, and record company execs took notice.
History's most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily.
9. They Made Two
By 1976, Quiet Riot had a record deal with CBS/Sony Records. Quiet Riot quickly made two albums—both in 1978—and the record company made a bizarre decision. Although LA was full of Quiet Riot fans, they released the album only in Japan. Making two albums within 12 months was difficult, and the band suffered from the pressure.
10. There Was Violence
Bandmates Garni and DeBrow were not getting along. One day, a very inebriated Garni fired a gun at Dubrow and then went at Rhoads with his fists. Garni was clearly not in control of himself. He even told Rhoads of his plan to take DuBrow’s life at the recording studio where they were making an album.
Obviously, Rhoads had to do something about his violent bandmate and childhood friend.
BradP, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
11. He Had To Let Him Go
Rhoads had no choice but to fire his best friend from Quiet Riot. Soon after, he got a call from his buddy bassist Dana Strum, who told him that British rocker Ozzy Osbourne was in LA looking to form a new band. Truth was, Black Sabbath had just fired Osbourne for his bizarre behavior stemming mostly from his misuse of substances. Strum wanted Rhoads to audition for Osbourne's new band.
Rhoads, however, just wasn’t that interested.
Alberto Cabello, Wikimedia Commons
12. They Disagreed On What Happened
Strum wouldn’t leave Rhoads alone, so he eventually agreed to audition for Osbourne. But what actually occurred at the audition is a case of “he said, he said”. Rhoads maintained that he didn’t even meet Osbourne at the audition, as Osbourne was in the control room and likely inebriated.
In fact, according to Rhoads, Osbourne only heard Rhoads’ warm up.
Andreas Lawen, Fotandi, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
13. He Made Him An Offer
The way Osbourne tells it, Rhoads started playing his guitar, and Osbourne thought he was amazing. He even wondered if he was really hearing Rhoads play or if all the substances he’d taken made it sound better than it was. According to Osbourne, he gave the job to Rhoads immediately.
One thing we do know is that the guys had a legendary jam session.
Kevin Burkett, Wikimedia Commons
14. He Had A Change Of Heart
Before Osbourne returned to the UK, he jammed with Rhoads, Strum, and a drummer named Frankie Banali. In the beginning, Rhoads had no interest in leaving Quiet Riot but after the jam session, he felt tempted. Quiet Riot had not got a recording deal in the US, and Osbourne was already a star.
Rhoads changed his mind—but then a problem arose.
15. He Wasn’t Quite Right
Osbourne returned to the UK and talked to his management team. They had a problem with Rhoads. They had no interest in hiring an American guitarist, especially one who was more or less unknown. After some convincing, the manager said he’d give Rhoads a try. Now all Rhoads had to do was cross the Atlantic and join Osbourne.
This was something more easily said than done.
16. They Held Him Back
Rhoads survived the flight from LA to London, he just didn’t survive the airport. Rhoads’ lack of documentation failed to impress the folks at customs. In their view, he needed to have a work permit. Jet Records sent someone to clear it all up. Rhoads was a prisoner at the airport and anxiously waited for help to arrive.
Randy Rhoads Live - Tribute Video, 80thisvelvetglove
17. They Locked Him Up
The guy from Jet Records never arrived at Heathrow Airport, so the authorities put Rhoads into airport prison for the night. The next day things got worse. Officials threw handcuffs on Rhoads and rudely sent him back where he’d come from. Rhoads certainly could have cut ties with Osbourne after this embarrassing confusion, but a phone call changed everything.
'Crazy Train' from 'Thirty Years After The Blizzard' DVD, Ozz Fest
18. He Finally Arrived
Osbourne saw how everything had been a mess at the airport, and he called the next day to apologize. Soon, Rhoads was back on the plane but this time he had the necessary paperwork. Rhoads landed in London on November 27, 1979, and traveled by train to Bullrush Cottage where Osbourne lived.
This was clearly the beginning of something big.
5 Insane Live Randy Rhoads Solos, eclipsehex
19. He Moved In
Rhoads moved right in with Osbourne and his then-wife, Thelma Riley. They rounded out the band with one new member: Lee Kerslake from Uriah Heep. To make it clear that this was Osbourne’s band, they named it The Blizzard of Ozz. Rhoads was still an unknown musician, and he needed to change that.
Heinrich Klaffs, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
20. He Got Noticed
The Blizzard of Ozz did a UK tour based on their first album. The second album—Diary of a Madman—really got Rhoads noticed. The readers of Guitar Player magazine voted him “Best New Talent”, while Sounds magazine decided he was the “Best Heavy Metal Guitarist”. All this was good for Osbourne’s band.
What Rhoads did next, wasn’t.
Randy Rhoads Live - Tribute Video, 80thisvelvetglove
21. He Got Caught
Even though Rhoads was clearly becoming very popular playing with Osbourne, he couldn’t help but reunite with his pals in Quiet Riot. He returned for a single-night concert at Whiskey a Go Go in LA. The Blizzard of Ozz’s manager—Osbourne’s girlfriend, Sharon Arden—heard about Rhoads’ reunion and sternly told him to never do that again.
While this already sounds awkward, it is even more so if you know this surprising fact.
VMI Worldwide, Randy Rhoads: Reflections of a Guitar Icon (2022)
22. They Got Close
Back during the tour, Rhoads and Arden went out for some drinks to celebrate, and the two got a little closer than they should. Arden and Rhoads ended up in bed together. Of course, Arden would later become Mrs Sharon Osbourne, which would certainly complicate Rhoads’ relationship with Ozzy.
As it turned out, sleeping with Arden may have saved Rhoads his job.
Eva Rinaldi, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
23. He Lost Two
Rhoads and the Blizzard of Ozz were getting ready for a US tour and they had a short break scheduled. When he came back from the break, Rhoads discovered that Arden had fired his bandmates—and close friends—Kerslake and Daisley. It’s possible that Arden kept Rhoads on because she had a soft spot for the guy she’d slept with.
But Rhoads was angry about losing his friends, and he wanted to push back.
VMI Worldwide, Randy Rhoads: Reflections of a Guitar Icon (2022)
24. He Wanted To Leave
As the legal battle for the rights Kerslake and Daisley had to the music on Diary of a Madman began, Rhoads felt awful. He told Kerslake that he was thinking of walking out on Osbourne as he didn’t want to leave his friends behind. Kerslake appreciated Rhoads’ sentiment but advised him to stay with the band.
Rhoads continued with the Blizzard of Ozz—and headed straight into tragedy.
Watal Asanuma/Shinko Music, Getty Images
25. He Wanted A Change
Before going on what would be his final tour, Rhoads was having second thoughts about being in heavy metal. He talked about going back to classical guitar and even earning a degree from UCLA. During the US tour, he even found classical guitar teachers to give him lessons. But this wasn’t enough of a change.
Osbourne was making Rhoads’ life unbearable and he wanted out.
Randy Rhoads Live - Tribute Video, 80thisvelvetglove
26. He Planned To Quit
During this tour, life with Obourne was difficult. Osbourne had a drinking addiction that made his behavior unpredictable. Some days, he would even refuse to go on stage, and the tour manager would have to coax him out. When she couldn’t talk him into performing, they’d have to cancel the concert.
Rhoads hated this unpredictability—but things were about to get even worse.
5 Insane Live Randy Rhoads Solos, eclipsehex
27. He Wouldn’t Go Live
In February 1982, Osbourne’s management team made an announcement. They said that the Blizzard of Ozz would do a live recording of all Black Sabbath songs. The recording would take place at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens. Rhoads—along with drummer Aldridge—had their own announcement: They absolutely refused to do this live show.
Osbourne did not like the word “no”.
Randy Rhoads Live - Tribute Video, 80thisvelvetglove
28. He Received A Threat
Osbourne really wanted Rhoads and Aldridge to perform on the Black Sabbath cover album, and Rhoads’ refusal was driving Osbourne crazy. Osbourne started threatening to replace them with outrageous names like Gary Moore and Frank Zappa. When this didn’t work, Osbourne played an even dirtier trick.
29. He Got Fired
With Rhoads and Aldridge still refusing to perform on the album, Osbourne started drinking more heavily and getting more angry. Although he says he doesn’t remember doing it, he apparently fired the entire band. This extreme behavior was doing nothing to help with Rhoads’ opinion of Osbourne.
Rhoads had to make a change, and he had to make it as soon as possible.
Randy Rhoads Live - Tribute Video, 80thisvelvetglove
30. He Couldn’t Get Out
Rhoads had had enough of Osbourne and decided to make a break. Unfortunately, he couldn’t do it immediately. He still owed Jet Stream Records one more album and a tour. He also had to agree to one more thing: doing that Black Sabbath live concert album. Freedom from Osbourne was somewhere in Rhoads’ future.
Sadly, he would never see it.
Randy Rhoads Live - Tribute Video, 80thisvelvetglove
31. They Went By Bus
Rhoads and Osbourne were not on great terms, but the tour had to continue. On March 18, 1982, the band played in Knoxville, Tennessee and headed next to Orlando, Florida. They would travel by bus to a Florida festival known as Rock Super Bowl. Sadly, Rhoads would never get to play this festival.
'Crazy Train' from 'Thirty Years After The Blizzard' DVD, Ozz Fest
32. The Bus Broke Down
On the way to Orlando, the tour bus had an issue. The air conditioner wasn’t working, and to fix it they stopped at Flying Baron Estates in Leesburg, Florida. This estate has a private airstrip and even its own lake. Osbourne and Tommy Aldridge remained on the bus to sleep, while the rest of the guys thought they’d look around.
That’s when the bus driver made a terrible decision.
Ozzy Osbourne - Iron Man (Live), Ozzy Osbourne
33. He Didn’t Ask Permission
Sitting at the Flying Baron Estates was a small fleet of helicopters and small airplanes. Tour bus driver Andrew Aycock was a pilot and thought it would be fun to take one of the planes for a little excursion. He convinced keyboardist Don Airey and tour manager Jake Duncan to come along for a joyride.
He didn’t bother to ask for permission to use this plane.
Alexandre Cardoso, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
34. They Did Something Dangerous
When Aycock got the plane into the air, he had an idea. He thought it would be funny to try and wake the other tour members up by flying the plane close to the bus. It was stupid and dangerous and probably a real laugh for those onboard the plane. Rhoads was safely on the ground and likely happy about not getting on that plane.
But he was far from safe.
Bidgee, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
35. It Was Supposed To Be Safe
After swooping over the tour bus a couple of times, Aycock landed the plane successfully. But he wanted to do it again. Rhoads was still saying no, as he was afraid of flying. Aycock said that he was taking makeup artist Rachel Youngblood and because she had a bad heart, he wouldn't do anything stupid up there.
Rhoads reluctantly agreed to climb on board.
36. He Broke His Promise
Once Rhoads was up in the air with Youngblood and Aycock, it was clear that Aycock was not going to honor his promise to be safe. He started flying over the bus again in an effort to wake up the occupants. He flew over once and then once more. It was 10 am when Aycock took the plane in for the third flyover.
This third swoop would end in disaster.
'Crazy Train' from 'Thirty Years After The Blizzard' DVD, Ozz Fest
37. He Was Afraid
Don Airey, the band’s keyboardist, was on the ground with his camera taking pictures of the flight for Rhoads. As he focused his telephoto lens on the plane, he noticed something strange. It looked like Rhoads and the pilot were having some sort of struggle. As the plane came in to buzz over the tour bus for the third time, Airey saw it was coming directly at him.
'Crazy Train' from 'Thirty Years After The Blizzard' DVD, Ozz Fest
38. They Were Flying Low
Airey said he had to quickly hit the dirt to avoid getting hit by the plane. He estimated it was only about two meters (six feet) from the ground. As the plane went over his head, Airey turned around to see what would happen. To his horror, the wing of the plane made contact with the tour bus.
What happened next was absolutely terrifying.
39. They Were Spiraling
After hitting the tour bus, the wing of the plane broke into pieces and as a result, the plane started spiraling. But this collision also had an effect inside the plane. The impact sent Rhoads and Youngblood jerking forward. The impact was so abrupt that both Rhoads’ and Youngblood’s heads went through the glass of the windshield.
But this accident wasn’t quite over yet.
40. It Finally Landed
After hitting the tour bus, the small plane zipped the top off of a pine tree and then found its final resting place. This was on one of the garages of a nearby mansion. They might have had a chance of survival, but the plane tragically burst into flames. The sound of the explosion finally woke up the sleeping tour members.
They were about to see a truly gruesome sight.
VMI Worldwide, Randy Rhoads: Reflections of a Guitar Icon (2022)
41. He Heard the Crash
When Ozzy Osbourne heard the explosion of the plane crash, he was asleep in the tour bus. He mistakenly thought another vehicle had hit the bus. He said there was a lot of confusion and finally he realized that a plane had crashed, and that people from his tour group were on the plane. He knew they needed help—but that was a problem.
VMI Worldwide, Randy Rhoads: Reflections of a Guitar Icon (2022)
42. It Was Too Little Too Late
It was pretty obvious that everyone on that plane had perished. After all, it was completely engulfed in flames. Osbourne said it took 30 minutes for any emergency vehicles to arrive. When one finally did, it was a pathetically small fire truck that, according to Osbourne, “squirted three gallons of water on the inferno”.
Eventually, the fire was out and there was a horrible sight before them.
VMI Worldwide, Randy Rhoads: Reflections of a Guitar Icon (2022)
43. It Was A Ghastly Scene
Because of the fire, it was nearly impossible to identify the occupants of the plane. They later used dental records and knowledge of his jewelry to identify Rhoads. Sharon Osbourne later said that "they were all in bits, it was just body parts everywhere”. The ones who survived had to deal with this in any way they could.
VMI Worldwide, Randy Rhoads: Reflections of a Guitar Icon (2022)
44. He Was Crying
Legend has it that bass player Rudy Sarzo found a church that night and went in to pray for losing Rhoads. The church was eerily empty except for one man who was crying loudly. Sarzo heard the man yell out “Why? Why?” and he immediately knew who it was. It was Ozzy Osbourne.
Eventually, the rest of the world had to find out the horrible truth.
VMI Worldwide, Randy Rhoads: Reflections of a Guitar Icon (2022)
45. She Heard It On The Radio
Sadly, this accident occurred before the days of notifying loved ones and family first. Rhoads' girlfriend was driving in her car, and she couldn’t figure out why the radio station was playing only Blizzard of Ozz songs. Eventually, the DJ told listeners about the horrible crash and the loss of Rhoads. This was the first she’d heard of it.
Once the dust had settled, more information about the crash surfaced. And it was shocking.
VMI Worldwide, Randy Rhoads: Reflections of a Guitar Icon (2022)
46. He Had History
What the guys in the band didn’t know was that Aycock had a sketchy history with planes. In fact, not only had his license expired, but he’d already caused a fatal accident in the United Arab Emirates. But there was something even more worrying about Aycock’s state that night.
5 Insane Live Randy Rhoads Solos, eclipsehex
47. He Wasn’t Of Sound Mind
The night that Aycock was flying around in the plane with Rhoads and Youngblood, he was suffering from sleep deprivation and experiencing some drug-related effects. You can add to that the fact that his marriage was ending. In fact, his wife Wanda Hiers was also aboard the bus that Aycock was buzzing over.
There’s a very dark theory about why Aycock was flying so low that night.
5 Insane Live Randy Rhoads Solos, eclipsehex
48. He Had A Crazy Plan
Aycock had told everyone that he was flying close to the tour bus because he wanted to wake up the sleeping occupants. But the truth may be something much darker. Witnesses say that Hiers was standing in the bus doorway as Aycock made his third flyover. It’s possible that Aycock’s plan was to end his wife’s life—and everyone else’s.
While this seems absolutely incredible, it does explain one puzzling fact.
VMI Worldwide, Randy Rhoads: Reflections of a Guitar Icon (2022)
49. He Went Down Fighting
Remember: Keyboardist Don Airey saw something strange from the ground. He saw a physical struggle between Rhoads and the Aycock in the plane. Some speculate that Rhoads was desperately trying to stop Aycock from using the plane to kill his ex-wife. Rhoads went down fighting for his and Youngblood’s life.
VMI Worldwide, Randy Rhoads: Reflections of a Guitar Icon (2022)
50. His Music Lives On
Randy Rhoads’ impact as a guitar player is still felt to this day. Rolling Stone placed him at number 36 in the 100 Greatest Guitarists. Better still, he was number four on the Guitar World Magazine's 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Guitarists. Jackson Guitars made a special model they called the Jackson Randy Rhoads. Rhoads’ mother—Delores Rhoads—started the Randy Rhoads Scholarship Endowment which gives money to guitar students.
His legacy truly lives on.
You May Also Like:
Lemmy Kilmister Was The Real King Of Rock
Pink Floyd Fought More Than Any Band In History
The Doomed Genius Of Southern Rock
VMI Worldwide, Randy Rhoads: Reflections of a Guitar Icon (2022)
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
_taxiing_at_Wagga_Wagga_Airport_1.jpg){kind=link}