Ozzy Osbourne forced himself to do something to replace Randy Rhoads after his death.
Osbourne, instead of Black Sabbath's disbandment, remembers 1982 as the year when he lost his guitarist and friend, Rhoads. He died in a plane crash after expressing his fear of flying.
After losing the most-promising young guitarist, Osbourne pulled himself together and looked for a new guitarist to continue Rhoads' legacy.
In a recent interview (via Express), Starz's guitarist Richie Ranno recalled being approached to audition for the position and receiving an offer two weeks later.
"They knew that [Rhoads] was a big fan of Starz and myself and thought it'd be maybe a good fit," he said. "So they flew three people out there."
Aside from Ranno, Robert Sarzo and Bernie Torme were flown out. Still, he had an advantage due to his style of playing.
Although he was confident in his performance, he refused to think that he could get axed because of his hair color - but it became Osbourne's main criteria in finding the next guitarist.
A friend eventually told Ranno that the Prince of Darkness took the "blond-hair guy."
How Did Randy Rhoads Die?
Osbourne did not have to look for a replacement if Rhoads survived the fatal plane crash - or if it did not happen at all.
On Mar. 19, 1983, the only-25-year-old guitarist died alongside Rachel Youngblood and a 36-year-old bus driver with an expired license, Andrew Aycock.
The National Transportation Safety Board revealed that Aycock led the single-engine aircraft from the nearby Flying Baron Estates. The plane passed over the home thrice, but the joy-riding attempt led the aircraft to hit a pine tree before nosediving into the house, killing the three passengers.
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"I was awoken from my sleep by a loud explosion. I immediately thought that we'd hit a vehicle on the road. I got out of bed, screaming to my fiancee Sharon: 'Get off the bus!' After getting out of the bus, I saw that a plane had crashed. I didn't know who was on the plane at the time," Osbourne said in his sworn statement.
Meanwhile, NTSB said that Rhoads had nicotine in his system. Meanwhile, Aycock tested positive for trace amounts of cocaine.
Decades after Rhoads died, Osbourne admitted that he continuously took antidepressants to deal with the shocking loss.
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