Randy Rhoads

Name: Randall William Rhoads
Born/Died: 6th December, 1956 - 19th March, 1982 (Santa Monica, California).

Profile: He was an American heavy metal guitarist who played with Ozzy Osbourne and Quiet Riot. A devoted student of classical guitar, Rhoads often combined his classical music influences with his own heavy metal style. While on tour with Ozzy Osbourne, he would seek out classical guitar tutors for lessons, Rhoads is a major influence on neo-classical metal players that emerged in the 1980s. He is cited as an influence by many contemporary heavy metal guitarists.

History: Rhoads was born to a family of musicians, his mother has owned and operated the Musonia School of Music in North Hollywood, since 1949. Rhoads started playing guitar at age 6 on his grandfather's old Gibson "Army-Navy" classical acoustic guitar. According to Rhoads' mother, he learned to play folk guitar, a popular way to learn guitar at the time, although he did not take lessons for very long. Rhoads was always evolving toward a hard rock/metal lead guitar style, but he was heavily influenced by classical music as well.

At the age of 14 Rhoads formed a cover band called "Violet Fox", after the dissolution of Violet Fox, Rhoads taught his best friend Kelly Garni how to play bass, and together they formed a band called "The Whore" and renamed it to "Quiet Riot" when Rhoads was 16. Until the auditioned of Ozzy Osbourne who at that time seeking for a guitarist.

Influences: Yngwie Malmsteen, Michael Angelo Batio and Jason Becker.

Axology: Gibson Flying V and Jackson Flying V guitars.

Link(s):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVJKlOkrgt0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4iDqFELf_M