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Today (March 19), marks the 31st death anniversary of legendary Heavy Metal guitarist RANDY RHOADS. His tragic death is still mourned by the Heavy Music world. On March 19, 1982, RHOADS went on a plane ride around Leesburg, Florida, on board a small plane around while on tour with Ozzy when all of a sudden the pilot lost control and the plane clipped into the side of Ozzy's tour bus. Next thing you know, the plane crashed into a mansion garage. RHOADS died immediately from the impact! He was only 25 years old. RHOADS was born on December 6, 1956 at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California. He was the youngest of three children. His older brother, Doug, is a drummer and vocalist who also arrange classical compositions, who goes by the name of Kelle Rhoads. His sister's name is Kathy.
RHOADS can be blamed for being not a only a phenomenal musician, but also a true innovator when it came to music writing. His guitar skills with early Quiet Riot and obviously with Ozzy Osbourne, revolutionized music forever. His angelic face, blonde hair, and his amazing personality, will be remembered forever! To this very day his musical style and songwriting skills remain unmatched. RHOADS has influenced thousands of musicians worldwide, some of this musicians are: the late great Dimebag Darrell Abbott (Pantera & Damageplan), Zakk Wylde from Black Label Society, and many more! Related links: Official Site of Randy Rhoads
The concept behind "Turn The Page" is very simple, we want to bring you guys the most relevant up to date Heavy Music news and tour information in a video format. While we select what we believe is the most important information and post it here on a daily basis, keep in mind that our main platform (www.HornsUpRocks.com) is the place where you can get the majority of the information you need.
Without further due, here is the twelfth installment of "TURN THE PAGE", this is the 12/7/2012 edition. Filmed at Madison Square Park in New York City! We hope you enjoy it!
Full details on the news stories and tours mentioned on the video above, can be seen on our archive (located on the right hand side column) ----------------------------------------------------------->
Randy Rhoads would have celebrated his 56th birthday today (December 6, 2012). Rhoads was born on December 6, 1956 at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California. He was the youngest of three children. His older brother, Doug, is a drummer and vocalist who also arrange classical compositions, who goes by the name of Kelle Rhoads. His sister's name is Kathy.
Rhoads can be blamed for being not a only a phenomenal musician, but also a true innovator when it came to music writing. His guitar skills with early Quiet Riot and obviously with Ozzy Osbourne, revolutionized Heavy Music music forever. His angelic face, blonde hair, and his amazing personality, will be remembered forever!
Today, 30 years after his death, his musical style and songwriting skills remain unmatched. Rhoads has influenced thousands of musicians worldwide, some of these musicians are: the late great Dimebag Darrell Abbott (Pantera & Damageplan), Zakk Wylde from Black Label Society, and many more!
His tragic death is still mourned by the Heavy Music world. On March 19, 1982, Rhoads was on board a little plane while on tour with Ozzy, when all of a sudden the plane clipped into the side of Ozzy's tour bus. Next thing you know, the plane crashed into a mansion garage in Leesburg, Florida. Rhoads died immediately from the impact!
Out of the plethora of Rock N’ Roll styles, Heavy Metal is by FAR the most in your face, brutal style. Here arefour elements that define Heavy Metal guitar playing:
- High/loud volume
- Broadening textures
- Pure drama
- Speed
In honor of Heavy Metal's electrifying players, Gibson.com counts down the Top 10 Metal Guitarists of All Time, showcasing axemen who pack both fantastic soloing and technical percussion, inspiring generations to keep on shredding.
After you review the list, let us know who YOUR top 10 Heavy Metal guitarists are at the comments section below.
Gibson's Top 10 "Greatest Heavy Metal Guitarists":
10. George Lynch (DOKKEN, LYNCH MOB)
09. Dave Murray & Adrian Smith (IRON MAIDEN)
08. Adam Jones (TOOL)
07. Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY)
06. Eddie Van Halen (VAN HALEN)
05. Dimebag Darrell (PANTERA)
04. John Petrucci (DREAM THEATER)
03. Randy Rhoads (OZZY OSBOURNE)
02. Kirk Hammett & James Hetfield (METALLICA)
01. Tony Iommi (BLACK SABBATH)
Let us know who YOUR top 10 Heavy Metal guitarists are at the comments section below.
"Randy Rhoads: The Quiet Riot Years", a NEW book from QUIET RIOT's personal photographer/lighting director Ron Sobol, will be released later this year via Red Match Productions. As a bonus, this book comes with a 90-minute DVD documentary with multiple bonus features. Among those features are highlights from a never-before-heard Randy Rhoads guitar lesson.
Rock photo books are a dime a dozen with a parade of shutterbugs presenting images of iconic performers caught in their prime. But photographer Ron Sobol is one of the rare few who captured that elusive lightning in a bottle magic. As a perennial fifth member of hard rock band QUIET RIOT since their inception, Sobol's involvement lasted beyond the success of their multi-platinum masterpiece, "Metal Health". Intuitively aware of capturing the band's striking visual appeal, on and off stage, Ron quickly became a part of the group's trusted inner circle. Ron was not only QUIET RIOT's personal photographer, lighting director, and co-writer, he was also their dearest friend.
There's no such thing as an overnight success. To achieve musical respect and international stardom, aspiring rockers must be tireless in their quest, endlessly perfecting their craft as musicians, songwriters and performers. Even then, there's no guarantee of grabbing the brass ring and succeeding in the music business. Still a truism today, making it in the music business is a "one-in-a-million" crapshoot. It's a chosen few, inspired by a passionate love of rock and roll music and driven by an unyielding passion to strike a chord in the hearts of music fans, who stay in the game. Los Angeles-based rockers QUIET RIOT had hard rock music coursing through their veins. After seven long years of banging their heads on the local club circuit, recording two albums released only in Japan, and ultimately replacing three of its four original members, QUIET RIOT eventually achieved world domination.
In 1975, lead vocalist Kevin DuBrow and a young guitarist named Randy Rhoads served as the nucleus of the lineup, forged in a tight bond of friendship and aligned with a burning desire to make it. QUIET RIOT made their mark playing parties and small local venues before being transformed into the premier rock band on the Sunset Strip. By 1977, they were anointed reigning local rock icons, routinely selling out Hollywood's hottest clubs, The Starwood and The Whisky-A-Go-Go. Bound on a fast track to fame, the rising stars were foiled at every turn by the grinding corporate machinery of a mercurial record business.
Disco, punk and new wave were soaring, leaving passé hard rock purveyors in their wake. With record labels regularly passing on signing the band, the group's prospects grew dim. QUIET RIOT ditched their first manager and were on the brink of replacing their second, when they inked a deal for two albums with the Japanese division of CBS-Sony. Signed to the record label on the saleable visual merits of a promotional live photograph, shot by Ron Sobol, the band's two albums, "Quiet Riot" and "Quiet Riot II", met with moderate success in Japan. Back in their homeland, prospects for a breakthrough were even bleaker.
At the apex of their frustration, the band staged a coup. Along with a group of their most loyal fans, QUIET RIOT raced through the streets of Los Angeles on a flatbed truck, picketing every record company. Unfortunately, this proactive measure elicited minimal media coverage, prompting one key member of the band to declare it was time for a radical change.
In October 1979, Randy Rhoads was given the break of a lifetime. Packing his trusty Gibson Les Paul, he moved to England to form a new band with former BLACK SABBATH vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. Randy's new band, BLIZZARD OF OZZ, went on to achieve massive worldwide success leaving behind his old friend Kevin DuBrow and their beloved QUIET RIOT. Kevin made several half-hearted attempts at replacing Randy and even temporarily changed the name of the band to DUBROW. Fronting this new incarnation, DuBrow stubbornly continued to follow his dream of rock stardom.
Finally, in 1982 Kevin DuBrow's luck changed when he signed a deal with Pasha Records, and resurrected the name QUIET RIOT. "Metal Health", the group's American debut, was released on March 11, 1983. This album signaled the first warning shot; a new brigade of brash heavy metal warriors were born. An explosive cover of SLADE's '70s classic "Cum on Feel the Noize" became a hit, rocketing to #5 on the Billboard chart. The fist-pumping title track served as the defining metal anthem of the fledgling '80s generation. Also included on the album was "Slick Black Cadillac", which held honors as the most requested song from their early club days. A somber ballad, "Thunderbird", featured a dedication to original guitarist Randy Rhoads who tragically perished in a plane crash on March 19, 1982.
With "Metal Health" going on to rack up more than six million copies in sales, QUIET RIOT had finally arrived. QUIET RIOT became the first heavy metal band to land a number one album on the Billboard chart. By this time, Kevin DuBrow's larger-than-life personality landed him on the covers of rock magazines worldwide, earning notoriety for his outlandish and bratty behavior. Naturally verbose and outspoken, DuBrow's "shoot-from-the-hip" attitude eventually soured relations with the press and drove a wedge among his bandmates who fired him from QUIET RIOT in February 1987. Half-heartedly assembling a few solo projects, DuBrow repaired his relationship with the band and was reinstated among the ranks of QUIET RIOT in 1991.
Throughout the '90s and into the new millennium, QUIET RIOT continued to record albums and play small clubs and theaters, sadly, they never recaptured their early whirlwind success.
Tragedy struck the QUIET RIOT family on November 26, 2007 with the untimely death of Kevin DuBrow. Working in partnership with Ron Sobol, Kevin envisioned chronicling the colorful history of QUIET RIOT with either a film or book. Unfortunately, he never had the opportunity to fulfill his vision.
Until now…
Enhanced by a rich collection of Ron Sobol's evocative photographs, rare video footage and moving personal memories, coupled with a raft of Kevin DuBrow's original memorabilia, this is the captivating story of QUIET RIOT's near-impossible journey to superstardom, a story that first began on March 3, 1975 with legendary guitar icon Randy Rhoads in tow. Rocked by adversity at every turn, refusing to give up, resolute that it was their way or the highway, QUIET RIOT truly epitomize the word survivor, by eventually becoming one of the most popular bands in heavy metal history.
Narrated by Sobol, the accompanying 90-minute film offers a gripping behind-the-scenes portrait of two close friends, Rhoads and DuBrow, as they embark on an uphill quest for stardom . Using previously unseen images, rare video footage and period music, along with new and classic interviews, the movie chronicles the five year period (1975-1980) that Sobol was in the trenches with the band. This in-depth examination documents in photos and on celluloid, the gradual rise of a Hollywood club band into international superstars.
Sobol's unfettered access renders an intimate window into QUIET RIOT's meteoric transformation from club band to national sensation. You'll witness the group in rehearsals, performing live onstage and revel in a bounty of behind-the-scenes clips capturing the bandmates at play. It's a tale littered with all the earmarkings of a classic Hollywood epic — formidable struggles, triumph and heartbreak, world domination and unfathomable tragedy. Revealing interviews with bandmates, close friends and family lend profound insight into this captivating story.
A trailer for "Randy Rhoads: The Quiet Riot Years" can be seen below.
Though only on this planet a short time, the influence and legacy of Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Randy Rhoads continues to grow. After much anticipation, a NEW biography about the guitar legend is set for release.
The book, written by Steven Rosen and Andrew Klein, published by Velocity Books and simply titled ‘Randy Rhoads,’ vividly documents Rhoads’ life and career. Written in the form of an oral history, it documents Randy’s remarkable life through those who knew him best, and is loaded with countless tales of the man, both emotional and poignant. It is also crammed full of hundreds of rare photographs and memorabilia. In other words, a veritable bonanza for Rhoads fans!
Before his tragic death at the age of 25, the man born Randall Williams Rhoads had already gained a loyal following and turned the heads of many a fellow guitarist during his time with Osbourne. His playing on songs like "Crazy Train", "Mr. Crowley", and "Flying High Again", should have been the first chapter in a long story but, unfortunately we know the story was cut short. Much has been documented about Ozzy, but in general, little has been told about the guitar virtuoso.
It’s hard to believe it has been over thirty years since Randy was killed in a plane crash. Since that time, Marshall Amplifiers have created a custom amplifier that bears Randy’s name and signature sound, while Jackson Guitars have sold millions of Randy Rhoads model guitars. A testament to his influence. Time has done nothing to diminish interest in the man and his playing, and this book is looking to provide deeper insight into Randy, the man, the myth, the legend.
Today (March 19), marks the 30th death anniversary of legendary Heavy Metal guitarist RANDY RHOADS. His tragic death is still mourned by the Heavy Music world. On March 19, 1982, RHOADS went on a plane ride around Leesburg, Florida, on board a small plane around while on tour with Ozzy when all of a sudden the pilot lost control and the plane clipped into the side of Ozzy's tour bus. Next thing you know, the plane crashed into a mansion garage. RHOADS died immediately from the impact! He was only 25 years old.
RHOADS was born on December 6, 1956 at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California. He was the youngest of three children. His older brother, Doug, is a drummer and vocalist who also arrange classical compositions, who goes by the name of Kelle Rhoads. His sister's name is Kathy.
RHOADS can be blamed for being not a only a phenomenal musician, but also a true innovator when it came to music writing. His guitar skills with early Quiet Riot and obviously with Ozzy Osbourne, revolutionized music forever. His angelic face, blonde hair, and his amazing personality, will be remembered forever! To this very day his musical style and songwriting skills remain unmatched. RHOADS has influenced thousands of musicians worldwide, some of this musicians are: the late great Dimebag Darrell Abbott (Pantera & Damageplan), Zakk Wylde from Black Label Society, and many more!
Randy Rhoads would have celebrated his 55th birthday today (December 6, 2011). Rhoads was born on December 6, 1956 at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California. He was the youngest of three children. His older brother, Doug, is a drummer and vocalist who also arrange classical compositions, who goes by the name of Kelle Rhoads. His sister's name is Kathy.
Rhoads can be blamed for being not a only a phenomenal musician, but also a true innovator when it came to music writing. His guitar skills with early Quiet Riot and obviously with Ozzy Osbourne, revolutionized music forever. His angelic face, blonde hair, and his amazing personality, will be remembered forever!
Today, after almost 30 years after his death, his musical style and songwriting skills remain unmatched. Rhoads has influenced thousands of musicians worldwide, some of this musicians are: the late great Dimebag Darrell Abbott (Pantera & Damageplan), Zakk Wylde from Black Label Society, and many more!
His tragic death is still mourned by the Heavy Music world. On March 19, 1982, Rhoads was on board a little plane while on tour with Ozzy, when all of a sudden the plane clipped into the side of Ozzy's tour bus. Next thing you know, the plane crashed into a mansion garage in Leesburg, Florida. Rhoads died immediately from the impact!
Heavy Metal is the most hard-hitting musical style when it comes to Rock N' Roll. With guitars cranked up to 11, fast beats, and in your face vocals, Heavy Metal soothes even the most savage beast. The electric guitar is an essential part of the genre and if there is a guitar company to blame for the soundscape of Heavy Metal, it has to be Gibson. Throughout history, there have been a ton of guitarists who have shape up the sound of Heavy Metal. Here are the Top 10 Heavy Metal guitarists of All Time, according to Gibson.
10. George Lynch (Dokken)
With fantastic solos and a high-energy, guitar-wizard style, George Lynch helped drive Dokken towards mainstream Rock success, before the original lineup disbanded, leaving Lynch to pursue his own solo fame. Lynch still issues solo albums regularly, and tracks such as “Son of Scary” (which packs a pretty snazzy hook from Lynch) and smoky blues-rocker “Son or Scary” (off 2011’s 'Kill All Control') show creativity and killer shred-work haven’t run dry from this former headbanger.
9. Dave Murray and Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden)
When Iron Maiden came onto the scene, guitarists Dave Murray and Adrian Smith were quickly recognized for their high-speed agility of soloing, sinuous technique and telepathic rhythm work in partnership together. This duo, so it seemed, were true musical soulmates. Adrian Smith left Iron Maiden after 1988’s Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, altering the band’s musical chemistry and foreshadowing a grim creative drop for a period. But with Smith and Murray both back in tow, Iron Maiden are at their proggiest, and almost every track on 2010’s 'Final Frontier' has a riff-heavy chorus that leaves its own stamp.
8. Adam Jones (Tool)
Tool had a talent for capturing the choked up angst of ’90s alternative America and spitting it out in the form of striking Metal songs that had something meaningful to say. Much of that knack had to do with guitarist Adam Jones’ winning combination of heavy riffs, technical brilliance and artsy, experimental passages. With Jones’ unorthodox technique and disciplined aggressive attack, Tool proved that underground Metal could be intellectual, emotional, vicious and very commercially popular.
7. Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society)
With a musical backstory that includes playing lead guitar for Ozzy and fronting his own Heavy Metal group Black Label Society, Wylde is certainly one of the most distinguished Metal guitarists in the world. When Zakk served as Ozzy's axeman, each song became a guitar showcase. Blues-inspired hooks, sky-scraping solos and snarling riffing became something of Wylde’s crowd-pleasing stage shows, and his golden guitar still shines bright in Black Label Society.
6. Eddie Van Halen (Van Halen)
Guitar icon Eddie Van Halen altered what it means to play electric guitar with Van Halen’s 1978 self-titled debut, creating a dazzlingly, lightning-fast technique with meticulous tapping, hammer-ons, pull-offs and wild-sounding effects. It was madly dramatic, and coupled with theatrical singer David Lee Roth, the style brought Metal to a new level of performance art. Flying solo, Eddie also backed other artists’ records, everyone from Michael Jackson (on “Beat It”) to Roger Waters (“Lost Boys Calling”). With Van Halen’s new album reportedly almost finished, Van Halen interest is at a peak, and Eddie, once again, is stealing the spotlight.
5. Dimebag Darrell (Pantera, Damageplan)
The most popular Metal band of the first part of the ’90s, Pantera cut through ’80s hair Metal to establish their own unmistakable style. That signature sound largely came from guitarist Dimebag Darrell, whose rhythmic attack and hard-hitting sledgehammer tactics proved Metal guitar could shred wildly, but still groove. Tragedy struck on December 8, 2004, when Darrell, then 38, was shot and killed by a concertgoer during a club show in Columbus, Ohio. He’ll always be remembered as one of the most significant engineers of modern Metal.
4. John Petrucci (Dream Theater)
When Dream Theater’s rank rose in the early ’90s, six (at times, seven)-stringer John Petrucci was straight away recognized as one of the most technically proficient guitarists in all of contemporary Heavy Metal. Even as the band makeup has changed, Petrucci’s hard work and constant drive have helped take Dream Theater to new heights with their instruments, delivering imaginative, razor-sharp progressive Metal music.
3. Randy Rhoads (Ozzy Osbourne)
With Randy Rhoads on lead guitar, Ozzy Osbourne's debut solo release, 1980’s 'Blizzard of Ozz', had no chance to fail. The record was one of Heavy Metal’s supreme releases, very much thanks to Rhoads’ blistering playing. While other guitarists of the era emulated Eddie Van Halen, Rhoads stepped out on his own, incorporating classical music into his passages. His untimely death in a freak airplane accident in 1982 remains one of Metal’s biggest heartbreaks.
2. Kirk Hammett and James Hetfield (Metallica)
Metallica is the definitive Metal band, and guitar man Kirk Hammett certainly helped secure that tag, shaping the band’s sound on 1984’s wildly popular 'Ride the Lightning' and 1986’s groundbreaking 'Master of Puppets'. As the years went on, Hammett’s playing evolved and shifted from primarily Metal to a soul-filled, near-blues style, locked in with James Hetfield’s Metal riffs and shout-y vocals. Hammett’s thoughtful lead guitar style perfectly complimented Hetfield’s thick chords and serious lyrics, and that’s one reason why this duo is still a powerhouse today.
1. Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath)
Tony Iommi’s dark, distinct guitar textures in Black Sabbath helped spearhead the heavy metal movement and its signature massive riffing. “Iron Man,” “Black Sabbath” and “Paranoid” boast some of the most memorable riffs of all time, with lumbering heavy metal and crushingly heavy choruses. Iommi’s playing is certainly immortalized through the generations of heavy metal bands that have followed.
SOURCE: Gibson Guitars
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