Check out this free lesson from Guitar Control featuring instructor Darrin Goodman on the classic Randy Rhoads guitar riff from the song Crazy Train. Be sure to click the link to get the free tabs to go along with the step-by-step video instruction.
For more killer 80s classics check out Darrin’s course The 1980s Guitar Song Collection. https://www.guitarcontrol.net/1980s/
Life
Randall William Rhoads was an American heavy metal – classical guitarist born December 6, 1956 and died March 19, 1982 in an airplane crash. Rhoads was the original guitarist and founding member of Quiet Riot. After Ozzy Osbourne’s dismissal from Black Sabbath he recruited Rhoads as the new guitarist for his solo band. Rhoads was and still is one of the most influential guitarists of the 20th century and helped create the Neo Classical Guitar genre by combining Classical Guitar and Rock Guitar riffs and techniques.
Death
Rhoads died in a plane crash in 1982 at the age of 25 while on tour with Ozzy Osboure after performing on Osbourne’s first two solo records after leaving Black Sabbath. These two albums, “Blizard of Oz” and “Diary of a Madman” are revered by many guitarists as two of the greatest guitar albums of all time. Notable tracks from these two albums include; Crazy Train, I Don’t Know, Mr. Crowley and Revelation (Mother Earth) to name a few.
Legacy
Rhoads’s innovative guitar style can be heard in the playing of many modern guitarists to this day. Many years after Rhoads’s passing, Osbourne released a live album titled “Tribute” that contains live tracks from Rhoads as well as some studio sessions and out takes from the recordings of the two studio albums that he appeared on and is a must have album for any guitarist.
Signature Guitar
Rhoads also helped design his signature model guitar with Grover Jackson of Jackson Guitars in late 1980. Rhoads sat down with Jackson and literally sketched out a design on a paper napkin. After some redesigns and revisions, this guitar became known as the “Jackson Rhoads”. The guitar’s body was a Flying V shape with an offset point that has went on to be the inspiration of many guitars being built to this day and is one of the most iconic and recognizable guitar designs of all time.
