Randall William Rhoads (December 6, 1956 - March 19, 1982) was a legendary American heavy metal guitarist who is best known for playing with Ozzy Osbourne. Growing up around music (his mother Delores ran a music school), Randy started his first band with brother Kelle at age 14. By the age of 16, Randy had helped form Quiet Riot.

He would stay with the band until 1979, when former Slaughter bassist Dana Strum convinced him to audition for Ozzy Osbourne's first solo band. He was hired almost immediately, and later, Osbourne would describe Rhoads' playing as "God entering my life." Two epic albums followed, Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman. Tragedy struck during the Diary of a Madman tour.

Randy Rhoads' last show was played on Thursday, March 18, 1982 at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum in Knoxville, Tennessee. The next day, the band was headed to a festival in Orlando, Florida. After driving much of the night, they stopped on the property belonging to Jerry Calhoun, owner of "Florida Coach," in Leesburg, Florida.

On it, there was a small airstrip lined with small helicopters and planes, and two houses. One belonged to the tour bus driver, Andrew Aycock, and the other was owned by Calhoun. Aycock - a licensed pilot - talked the band's keyboardist, Don Airey, into taking a test flight with him in a '55 Beechcraft Bonanza.

By some accounts the manager, Jake Duncan, was also on this first flight. The joyride ended, and the plane landed safely. Then Aycock took Rhoads and hairdresser/seamstress Rachel Youngblood on another flight.

Rhoads was persuaded to go on the second flight, despite his fear of flying. Rhoads apparently agreed to go for two reasons: the seamstress had a heart condition so Aycock agreed to do nothing risky; also, Rhoads wanted to take an aerial photo as one of his hobbies was photography. During the second flight, attempts were made to "buzz" the tour bus where the other band members were said to be sleeping.

They succeeded twice, but the third attempt was botched. The left wing clipped the back side of the tour bus, tore the fiberglass roof then sent the plane spiraling. The plane severed the top of a pine tree and crashed into the garage of a nearby mansion, bursting into flames.

Rhoads was killed instantly, as were Aycock, 36, and Youngblood, 58. All three bodies were burned beyond recognition, and were identified by dental records and Rhoads' jewelry. It was later revealed in an autopsy that Aycock's system showed traces of cocaine at the time; Rhoads' toxicology test revealed only nicotine.

In Ozzy Osbourne's autobiography titled "I Am Ozzy", he writes that the night of Rhoads' death, he told his wife, Sharon: "I don't think I want to be a rock 'n' roller anymore." Rhoads' funeral was held at the First Lutheran Church in Burbank, California. He is interred at Mountain View Cemetery in San Bernardino, California, where his grandparents are also buried. Despite his short lived career, he is cited as an influence by many contemporary heavy metal guitarists.

His legacy lives on through many tribute bands, as well as older brother Kelle's Rhoadsfest → www.rhoadstoozz.com/RHOADSFEST.html.

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