• Randy Rhoads was a heavy metal guitar player who often combined the technique from his classical guitar background with heavy metal to create his signature style. Born in Santa Monica, California, he began playing guitar at a young age and was playing in bands by his teens. At age 17 he formed Quiet Riot, though he would not be in the band when they reached their pinnacle of success (in fact, Quiet Riot's popularity would occur after Rhoads' death).

  Rhoads left Quiet Riot to play with Ozzy Osbourne in 1980. In his brief tenure with Osbourne, they released two popular albums (Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman), the first of which included the smash hit Crazy Train.

• Fast Facts

  1. Birth Name: Randall William Rhoads
  2. Born: December 6, 1956
  3. Died: March 19, 1982
  4. Birthplace: Santa Monica, California
  5. Years Active: 1970 - 1982
  6. Record Label: Epic Records, Sony
  7. Has a signature Jackson guitar model
  8. Wrote acoustic folk song "Dee" for his mother

• Death

  On March 19, 1982, while he was a passenger in a small aircraft during a joyride, Rhoads was killed when the pilot lost control of the plane and crashed into a nearby mansion in Orlando, Florida. He was 25 years old at the time of his death, and though his career was short, he remained an influential guitar player. In 2004, Rhoads was inducted into the Guitar Center Rock Walk in Hollywood.

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