Since he was more famous for his playing than his death, I'm marking the anniversary of the last live concert by Randy Rhoades (with Ozzy Osbourne) which happened on this date in 1982.

Randy Rhoades was one of the fastest and most skillful guitarists I ever saw.  Without him in the studio, Ozzy's "Blizzard of Oz" or "Diary of a Madman" albums may not have been half as good.  Instead, they were multi-platinum masterpieces.  I know where I'm giving the credit!

The morning after playing his last show in Knoxville in '82, Randy hopped aboard a small plane with the tour bus driver, got in the air and started buzzing the tour bus that Ozzy and some other band members were sleeping on.  They clipped a wing and crashed and burned so badly that Randy Rhoades had to be identified by dental records.  That happened on March 19th.

So on this date, the anniversary of his last performance, I salute all fans of Randy Rhoades and early-80's Ozzy, and hope the people in Knoxville, TN know how lucky they were to have seen that show.

Frazer Harrison, Getty Images
Frazer Harrison, Getty Images
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