Rock Musician. Raised in Burbank, California, he was a guitar prodigy who started at the age of six and taught at his mother's music school in North Hollywood during his professional career, he played in an early version of the successful 1980s heavy metal band "Quiet Riot," which he co-founded in 1973 with bassist Kelly Garni. He was the original guitarist for heavy metal singer Ozzy Osbourne's solo band. Known for combining classical and heavy metal music together, his work on Osbourne's first two solo albums: "Blizzard of Ozz" (1980) and "Diary of a Madman" (1981) are hailed today for their ingenuity, and songs like "Crazy Train" and "Flyin' High Again" are considered heavy metal classics. He gave the inspiration for Grover Jackson, founder of Jackson Guitars, to start a guitar company. He was killed in a private plane crash in Leesburg, Florida at age 25. In 2021, Rhoads was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame via the Award for Musical Excellence.
Rock Musician. Raised in Burbank, California, he was a guitar prodigy who started at the age of six and taught at his mother's music school in North Hollywood during his professional career, he played in an early version of the successful 1980s heavy metal band "Quiet Riot," which he co-founded in 1973 with bassist Kelly Garni. He was the original guitarist for heavy metal singer Ozzy Osbourne's solo band. Known for combining classical and heavy metal music together, his work on Osbourne's first two solo albums: "Blizzard of Ozz" (1980) and "Diary of a Madman" (1981) are hailed today for their ingenuity, and songs like "Crazy Train" and "Flyin' High Again" are considered heavy metal classics. He gave the inspiration for Grover Jackson, founder of Jackson Guitars, to start a guitar company. He was killed in a private plane crash in Leesburg, Florida at age 25. In 2021, Rhoads was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame via the Award for Musical Excellence.
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