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2012 will mark the 30th anniversary of the death of OZZY OSBOURNE/ex-QUIET RIOT guitarist Randy Rhoads. Bassist Rudy Sarzo, who played with Rhoads in both Ozzy's band and QUIET RIOT, spoke to Artisan News at last month's Dimebash event about the legacy of Randy Rhoads as the anniversary of his passing approaches (see video below).
"Randy had a lot of influences, but you would never really hear them when you would hear him play, 'cause he was such a unique performer and composer that everything he did sounded like Randy Rhoads," Sarzo said. "Even when the few occasions that he was playing BLACK SABBATH songs in the set, it would sound like Randy playing BLACK SABBATH songs."
On March 19, 1982, Randy Rhoads, the then-lead guitarist for OZZY OSBOURNE, and two others were killed at Flying Baron Estates, just outside Leesburg, Florida, when their small plane struck Osbourne's tour bus, then crashed into a mansion.
When asked about what he remembers about that fateful day in 1982 when Randy was killed, Sarzo said, "I like to think about Randy while he was alive, not about him being dead. He's still alive in my mind. His music will live on forever. I didn't hear about it, I witnessed it. It was so painful that I'd rather not talk about it."
In a 2007 interview with Glam-Metal.com, Sarzo stated about Rhoads, "Randy was an amazing musician, teacher, musician, friend, performer and composer. Also, Randy was responsible for getting me in Ozzy's band and for keeping the plane from crashing into our tour bus and saving the lives of us who were sleep in the bus."
He added, "Randy's legacy is still growing. Almost every day, I get messages [online] from young fans who have discovered him through their parents' CD collection."
Regarding the fact that he was the only person to have performed with Randy in both QUIET RIOT and OZZY OSBOURNE, Sarzo said, "I was blessed. It gave me the opportunity to see the two sides of Randy's guitar playing. There was the Randy with QUIET RIOT, and the Randy with OZZY. The Randy with QUIET RIOT had a lot of restrictions that were set by what the industry in Los Angeles was all about. Let's face it: QUIET RIOT was a band that was looking for a record deal. So we were pretty much at the mercy of what the industry was dictating. The last metal band to get signed out of the '70s was VAN HALEN. Right after that, they shut the door."
"Randy had a lot of influences, but you would never really hear them when you would hear him play, 'cause he was such a unique performer and composer that everything he did sounded like Randy Rhoads," Sarzo said. "Even when the few occasions that he was playing BLACK SABBATH songs in the set, it would sound like Randy playing BLACK SABBATH songs."
On March 19, 1982, Randy Rhoads, the then-lead guitarist for OZZY OSBOURNE, and two others were killed at Flying Baron Estates, just outside Leesburg, Florida, when their small plane struck Osbourne's tour bus, then crashed into a mansion.
When asked about what he remembers about that fateful day in 1982 when Randy was killed, Sarzo said, "I like to think about Randy while he was alive, not about him being dead. He's still alive in my mind. His music will live on forever. I didn't hear about it, I witnessed it. It was so painful that I'd rather not talk about it."
In a 2007 interview with Glam-Metal.com, Sarzo stated about Rhoads, "Randy was an amazing musician, teacher, musician, friend, performer and composer. Also, Randy was responsible for getting me in Ozzy's band and for keeping the plane from crashing into our tour bus and saving the lives of us who were sleep in the bus."
He added, "Randy's legacy is still growing. Almost every day, I get messages [online] from young fans who have discovered him through their parents' CD collection."
Regarding the fact that he was the only person to have performed with Randy in both QUIET RIOT and OZZY OSBOURNE, Sarzo said, "I was blessed. It gave me the opportunity to see the two sides of Randy's guitar playing. There was the Randy with QUIET RIOT, and the Randy with OZZY. The Randy with QUIET RIOT had a lot of restrictions that were set by what the industry in Los Angeles was all about. Let's face it: QUIET RIOT was a band that was looking for a record deal. So we were pretty much at the mercy of what the industry was dictating. The last metal band to get signed out of the '70s was VAN HALEN. Right after that, they shut the door."
And yes, totally remember where I was when I heard the awful news too - outside mowing my mom's lawn - she flagged me down to come in and hear them repeat the announcement on the radio "Hey, the DJ just said Ozzy's drummer died!" I then proceed to call in to our local radio station, because they were saying "Ozzy Osbourne drummer Randy Rhoads killed in plane crash", and I asked the DJ - "Was it the drummer Tommy Aldridge or was it Randy Rhoads ? He's Ozzy guitar player!" The DJ got flustered (clearly didn't know the band member's names himself) and yelled "LOOK, it says RIGHT HERE Ozzy's DRUMMER RANDY RHOADS DIED!" and hung up on me (he was a tool, btw). By the time the evening newspaper came out at least AP had it right...I still have the obituary with my autographed Diary tour program.
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