When did Randy Rhoads die? Fans remember Ozzy Osbourne’s late friend and bandmate amid his passing

The music world lost one of its most promising talents on March 19, 1982, when Randy Rhoads, the lead guitarist in Ozzy Osbourne’s band, was killed in a horrific plane crash at 25 years old.

More than a few decades later, fans continue to lament his premature passing and the profound impact he’s had on rock and metal this whole time. Rhoads was instrumental in shaping Osborne’s post-Black Sabbath career.

Randy Rhoads and Ozzy Osbourne together recorded landmark albums like Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman. His death was said to have left a huge hole in Osbourne’s life.

Brothers (not by blood, but by heart) reunited 🫶🪽🕊️🖤
thinking of you, Ozzy Osbourne and Randy Rhoads pic.twitter.com/O0NZiBShBS

— sarah 🕸♡ (@VampireGhuleh) July 22, 2025

The accident happened in Leesburg, Florida, while Osbourne was in between stops on a tour. According to a report by All Thats Interesting, The band’s bus driver, Andrew Aycock, who was an amateur pilot, invited Rhoads and make-up artist Rachel Youngblood on a spontaneous flight in a tiny Beechcraft 55 Baron airplane.

Witnesses said Aycock attempted to fly over the tour bus until, on the third pass, the wing of the plane struck the bus and sent it spiraling into an adjacent house. The crash killed all three of them instantly. Bassist Rudy Sarzo who was sleeping on the bus at the time, remembers the horror when he heard the first blast go off.

“I was awakened by this boom — it was like an impact. It shook the bus. I knew something had hit the bus... And I looked out and I saw our tour manager [Duncan] on his knees, pulling his hair out and yelling, ‘They're gone!’ And we didn’t know what was going on." He said in a 2022 interview with Yahoo Entertainment.

A look into Ozzy Osbourne’s trauma caused by Randy Rhoads death and his recent death

Ozzy Osbourne, who luckily avoided being on the plane himself, stated that he took a lot of time to face and recover from the trauma. Rudy Sarzo even claimed that Ozzy had turned towards drugs and alcohol to deal with the loss.

"The day Randy Rhoads died was the day a part of me died." Ozzy wrote in his Biography: The Nine Lives of Ozzy Osbourne.

For such a brief career, Rhoads left a massive imprint. His pioneering style transcended the structure of conventional neoclassical scales and opened up new possibilities for a generation of guitarists. He was posthumously inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2021 solidifying his place as a guitar legend.

Rockstar Ozzy Osbourne, 'Prince of Darkness' dead 76 after epic performance.

Cause of death: Parkinson's disease, a neuro degenerative disorder affecting movement. Sypmtoms include tremors, slow movement, and stiffness. Cause unknown. No cure. pic.twitter.com/JHbjOYvOtg

— EM (@EXECUTIVEXMEDIA) July 22, 2025

Ozzy Osbourne, the famed frontman of Black Sabbath, died on July 22, 2025, at 76. His family announced his death in a statement, saying he had been surrounded by loved ones. No cause of death was provided.

Osbourne had a long history of health issues, including Parkinson’s disease, several surgeries, and injuries sustained during falls. Even after he retired from touring in 2023, he went on to do one last Black Sabbath reunion show in Birmingham weeks before his passing.

Amidst the death of Ozzy Osbourne, people are reliving all the achievements and controversies linked to the frontman and his band.