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Influences on the Road & from the Rhoads

Guitarist Randy Rhoads with Ozzy Osbourne Excerpt from www.csun.edu/~igra/rhoads/rhoads.html ** His full name is Randall William Rhoads. His love and understanding for music can rightfully be traced back to his mother, Delores Rhoads, and to his introduction to music at such a young age. Mrs. Rhoads has owned and operated the Musonia School of music in Burbank, CA since 1949. After graduating from UCLA with a bachelors degree in music she taught in the Los Angeles School system before leaving to play professionally and to start and to head the music programs in her very own Musonia School of Music, North Hollywood, CA. -- Randy began taking lessons around the age of seven. To compliment his guitar lessons Mrs. Rhoads gave Randy piano lessons to sharpen his skills at reading music and to round out his musical education by building a strong foundation in music theory. When Randy was about 16 he started teaching at Musonia. He was a very popular teacher from the start. He understood his students completely and related with them very well. This was the first time Randy had a chance to study other guitarists and copy their licks and it was then that he began to develop his own rock style. -- Randy said later in an interview, 'You have to want to play. You have to love the guitar. I did.' -- One of Randy's former students, Keith Baim, not only attributes Randy for helping him with developing his own style but in teaching him to feel and express the music from within himself. He took lesson with Randy for about six months at Musonia. He would say, 'Keith, make your guitar part of you. use it to express how you feel.' He emphasized that phrasing is the most important aspect of one's playing: 'People don't talk in monotone, and you shouldn't play guitar that way. Accent your playing.' He worked very hard with me to help me develop my own style. Needless to say, he was a huge influence and was more inspiration than is imaginable. -- During these years Randy and (his brother) Kelly became well known in the area (of Los Angeles, CA) and created quite a local reputation for themselves which helped launch their band Quiet Riot, (who became part of the historical scene of 80's POP GLAM ROCK known from the source of Sunset Strip). Randy got the call for the Ozzy audition just before the last Quiet riot gig. Ozzy Osbourne, formerly of Black Sabbath, had recently broke from the group and was looking for a guitarist. Randy stood out from the rest by his calm and unimposing demeanor. He brought in a little amp and plugged in and began to play. Randy recalled later, 'I just tuned, up and did some riffs, and he said, 'You've got the gig.'

Thanks to Ozzy Osbourne and Robert Plant for this beautiful mystery of influence, because as the story goes from an interview circa 1990, Ozzy Osbourne & Robert Plant had been conversing on "the deep & meaningless about music". In that summer of 1990 by the pool at the Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix AZ, I had asked Robert what that conversation with Ozzy was all about in regards to "the deep and meaningless". Having remembered the conversation, Robert carried on in detail about the making of music, rock n' roll including all that is of pop, glam and other such important things in life, and Robert's summarized his point in saying: "Everything is meaningful." To Robert everything is meaningful, including the simple honor of asking his son, Logan Plant, to listen to his mother. And by Robert's request, I called to Logan there by the Biltmore pool and said, "Logan, listen to your mother." And so the mystery of influence continued.

Now it's 2005 and it's quite amazing how something done so many years ago affects what is created so many years later, including what we are creating in the present. It was the very honor from the respect of listening to one's mother that one legendary guitarist became so important in the life and solo works of Ozzy Osbourne and so many more, in this case it was legendary Blizzard of Ozz guitarist, Randy Rhoads. Randy listened to his mother at her Musonia School of Music and learned. He learned; he taught, and he became a legendary guitarist through his work with Ozzy Osbourne.

And thus, one of the greatest past duos in rock music history Osbourne & Rhoads created the music of "Blizzard of Ozz" and "Diary of a Madman", adding to the cornerstones and of metal rock music history affecting great influence through the world of music.

It's Friday the 13th, May 2005 and Ozzy has reunited once again with the original members of Black Sabbath now on tour with "OZZ FEST". Ozzfest Tickets have gone onsale. See Ozzy with Black Sabbath on the tenth anniversary tour off Ozzfest. (See details on special tickets at www.OzzFest.com) Mrs. Delores Rhoads is still teaching at the Musonia School of Music. And Robert Plant is on tour with his newest album, THE MIGHTY REARRANGER (details at www.RobertPlant.com).

The past is the present, a gift and a blessing. And in this past present is a gift from my former guitarist Dennis - circa 1996 - a message from from Ozzy Osbourne's former guitarist, Randy Rhodes:

"Never give up." - Randy Rhodes

* Randy Rhoads was devoted to his first love, classical music, and hoped to enroll at UCLA to earn a music degree. In 1989, with a gift of $50,000 from a trust fund of Randy's career earnings, his mother established the Randy Rhoads Memorial Scholarship Fund for the study of classical guitar at UCLA. The scholarship reflects Randy's and Mrs. Delores Rhoads's commitment to music education. For more information regarding donations and/or eligibility for the RANDY RHOADS GUITAR SCHOLARSHIP FUND for classical guitar studies, contact the UCLA School of Arts & Architecture http://www.arts.ucla.edu/support_ucla/primary_f.htm "Love is a mystery with an influence of no limit. What if there is no what if. Call it Fate, the present is a gift" - Melanie Silos.

RANDY RHOADS, legendary guitarist with Quiet Riot & Ozzy Osbourne. In 1982 by a freak accident while on the Diary of a Madman tour with Ozzy Osbourne, an airplane crashed into the Ozzy Osbourne tour bus bringing to an end the Diary of a Madman tour and the life of one of the most innovative guitarists, Randy Rhoads.

QUIET RIOT w/ guitarist Randy Rhoads. LEARN MORE ABOUT POP METAL ESSENTIALS - LISTEN & READ HERE: Click in.

LED ZEPPELIN From the evolution of the Yardbird's, Led Zeppelin released their first self-titled album in 1968. Led Zeppelin, known for their legendary influence in metal and hard rock, is comprised of Robert Plant (vocals), Jimmy Page (guitars), John Bonham (drums), John Paul Jones (bass/keyboards).
Black Sabbath, known for their dark, mysterious side of music, released their first self titled album on Friday the 13th of February 1970. Black Sabbath is comprised of four teenage friends from Aston, near Birmingham, England John 'Ozzy' Osbourne (vocals), Anthony 'Tony' Iommi (guitar), Terence 'Geezer' Butler (bass) and William 'Bill' Ward (drums).
But first, how about a little history... Back in the late 60's in the small town area of Birmingham, England, major roots developed in the world history of music with neighbors who were to become legendary rock vocalists of legendary rock bands: Black Sabbath's Ozzy Osbourne, and Led Zeppelin's - Robert Plant.

From the evolution of the Yardbird's, Led Zeppelin released their first self-titled album in 1968. Known for their dark, mysterious side of music, Black Sabbath, released their first self titled album on Friday the 13th of February 1970. Even after creating the legend and the parting of their bands, both Ozzy Osbourne and Robert Plant carried on into their solo careers. And little by little their influence permeated the world through music both from their legendary rock groups and their solo works.

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