This day in 1956, guitarist Randy Rhoads was born, in all places, Santa Monica. Since he was 14, Rhoads was in various bands that he formed with his friends and brother. They played mostly covers in backyards and Discos around LA. What a way to start the career of a Heavy Metal god. Discos and backyards. Oh yeah, and Quiet Riot was in there too somewhere…

Anyways, when Ozzy left Sabbath to go solo, Rhoads got called in for an audition. While he was warming up, Ozzy was so impressed he gave him the job. It takes a lot to impress Ozzy evidently. After the rise in fame with Osbourne, Rhoads was being recognized for his work. Jackson had created a signature RR model guitar, and Rhoads had planned on getting a classical guitar degree from UCLA, Go Bruins.

However, as it is with most Rockstars, they seem to go out at their peaks. He died at 25 in a plane crash on March 19, 1982