Rhoads entered Ozzy's life as he was trying to build a band following his dismissal from Black Sabbath in April of 1979. Bassist Dana Strum - who later went on to form Slaughter - was working with Ozzy to audition players when he brought Rhoads in to the studio.

"This little guy comes in with blonde hair and I thought, 'Is that a chick?'," Ozzy explains. "He spoke and suddenly my ears perked up. He says, "Well, what do you want me to play?' I said, 'Play anything.' So he starts playing and I'm like - even in my drunken, stoned-out stupor - I go, 'Either this is f***ing one of the best things I've ever heard in my life or these drugs are really good'"

Rhoads joined Ozzy's new band, Blizzard Of Ozz, and went on to record the group's explosive 1980 debut and 1981's "Diary Of A Madman" before being killed in a plane accident at the age of 25 on March 19, 1982 while on tour with Osbourne. "I truly believe if hadn't got killed when he did he would be up there with the big guys," says Ozzy. "He was f***ing phenomenal."