‘Randy Rhoads: Reflections of a Guitar Icon’ Examines The Brief Life And Big Impact Of Ozzy Osbourne’s Original Axeman

1980 was heavy metal’s breakout year. Like barbarian hordes storming the gates of Rome, the much maligned genre ravaged the pop charts and set young minds ablaze thanks to landmark albums from AC/DC, Judas Priest, Motörhead and Iron Maiden. Spring and fall of this annus metallum were marked by the return of metal’s godfathers, albeit in dueling altered forms. In April, Black Sabbath released Heaven and Hell, their first album to feature dragon-slaying operatic vocalist Ronnie James Dio. Come September, their disgraced former singer would have his revenge, as Ozzy Osbourne issued his classic solo debut, Blizzard of Ozz, which showcased the breathtaking guitar virtuosity of newcomer Randy Rhoads.

During an era in search of new guitar heroes, Rhoads arrival pointed the way forward and as such he was voted Guitar Player magazine’s “Best New Talent of 1981.” Unfortunately, in March 1982, just months after the release of Osbourne’s sophomore effort, Diary of a Madman, Rhoads would die in a bizarre tour mishap. The new documentary Randy Rhoads: Reflections of a Guitar Icon, examines his brief time in the spotlight and the long shadow he casts on rock guitar playing to this day. Narrated by L.A. metal vet Tracii Guns, it is currently available for rent on a variety of streaming services.

Directed by Andre Relis, Reflections of a Guitar Icon relies on archival interviews and first-hand accounts from those who knew Rhoads before he made it big. Rhoads grew up in Burbank, California, one of three children raised by single mom and music teacher Dolores Rhoads. Randy began playing guitar when he was six or seven, starting out on acoustic. Nine months after taking up the electric guitar, his music teacher told his mother, “for the last month and a half he’s been teaching me and I can no longer keep up with him.”

Rhoads first gained local notoriety as the lead guitarist for Quiet Riot, a different version of which would release 1983’s Metal Health, the first heavy metal album to reach #1 on the Billboard album charts. Originally made up of friends from around Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley, the band would progress from playing biker bars and chili cook-offs to becoming a top draw on the Hollywood club scene, battling the Runaways and Van Halen for popularity. Roadies, fans and girlfriends recount the band’s rise with an innocence and affection as they discuss Rhoads’ skill, technique and star power.

One of the documentary’s most interesting segments discusses the crosstown rivalry between Rhoads and Eddie Van Halen. An archival interview with Van Halen finds him surprisingly  ungracious, saying, “(Rhoads) was good but I don’t really think he did anything that I haven’t done.” Former guitar tech Brian Reason, meanwhile, says he used to tape a photograph of Eddie to the top of Rhoads’ wah wah pedal in order to make him stomp on it harder. Both players brought an unprecedented speed and flash to the guitar world, but where Van Halen’s playing always seemed like a direct line to his soul, Rhoads’ classy polish and classical melodicism spoke to his intellect. If Eddie Van Halen was a souped-up hot rod tearing up the race track with abandon, Randy Rhoads was a bullet train covering epic distances in record time with methodical precision.

Though local heroes in L.A., Quiet Riot struggled to get a record deal, eventually releasing two sub-par albums on CBS Sony Japan. As the band’s prospects petered out, Ozzy Osbourne was slowly drinking himself to death in a seedy motel just down the road following his unceremonious sacking from Sabbath. Future Slaughter bassist Dana Strum suggested Rhoads tryout for the new band Osbourne was assembling to revive his career. “Let’s hear Jesus now,” a skeptical reportedly Ozzy said after the guitarist showed up to his audition with a small practice amp. Randy’s warm up was enough to get him the gig.

Rhoads and Osbourne relocated to the UK where they wrote and recorded the first two Ozzy records with bassist Bob Daisley and drummer Lee Kerslake. Both albums would sell well into the millions and effectively put Osbourne back on the map. However, on an offday from the Diary of a Madmen Tour, Rhoads went on a joyride in a single engine aircraft from which he would never return. While trying to buzz the tour bus, the pilot lost control and the plane crashed and burst into flames, killing all on board. Randy Rhoads was 25.

Making ample use of personal photographs, home movies and personal recollections, Randy Rhoads: Reflections of a Guitar Icon has a decidedly homespun feel that borders on the amateurish. However, the participants’ love of Rhoads and his music shines through, making it essential viewing for fans. Tragically, Rhoads is one of many trailblazing guitarists who left us before the full breadth of their talents could truly be explored, joining the ranks of jazz great Charlie Christian, bluesman Robert Johnson, rockers Jimi Hendrix and Duane Allman, and country rock pioneer Clarence White. In 2021, Randy Rhoads was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Benjamin H. Smith is a New York based writer, producer and musician. Follow him on Twitter: @BHSmithNYC.