GONE WAY, WAY TOO SOON
Only 25 when he died in a tragic, stupid plane crash in 1982, Randy Rhoads impact on rock guitar is still felt today. A child prodigy on the instrument, Rhoads brought classical influences into metal and hard rock, forever changing them, largely for the better. At just 16, he co-founded Quiet Riot before being snapped up by a faltering Ozzy Osbourne for his post-Sabbath solo debut. It's impossible to underestimate how much Rhoads helped shape Ozzy's subsequent work; every guitarist who's ever played with Oz since is compared to Rhoads, and rightly so. In his short time making music, Rhoads drew blueprints that others continue to explore and expand on. Today is the 29th anniversary of his untimely passing and we offer this selection of his work in remembrance of a great musician. (Dennis Cook)
Only 25 when he died in a tragic, stupid plane crash in 1982, Randy Rhoads impact on rock guitar is still felt today. A child prodigy on the instrument, Rhoads brought classical influences into metal and hard rock, forever changing them, largely for the better. At just 16, he co-founded Quiet Riot before being snapped up by a faltering Ozzy Osbourne for his post-Sabbath solo debut. It's impossible to underestimate how much Rhoads helped shape Ozzy's subsequent work; every guitarist who's ever played with Oz since is compared to Rhoads, and rightly so. In his short time making music, Rhoads drew blueprints that others continue to explore and expand on. Today is the 29th anniversary of his untimely passing and we offer this selection of his work in remembrance of a great musician. (Dennis Cook)
