Playing With Randy Rhoads Was 'Life-Changing' For Music Legend

Legendary drummer Tommy Aldridge (Whitesnake, Ozzy Osbourne) says that meeting late Ozzy Osbourne guitar icon Randy Rhoads for the first time was "life-changing."

The anniversary of the 1982 tragic death of the acclaimed guitarist is coming up on March 19th and during a Q&A session during a recent Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp last fall, Aldridge was asked about seeing and hearing Rhoads for the first time when he joined Ozzy Osbourne's band just prior to the North American leg of the Blizzard Of Ozz tour.

Tommy had this to say about joining the band, "I was living in England at the time, and I was working with Gary Moore, who was signed to Jet Records, who ultimately signed Ozzy. That was kind of the connection."

He was then asked about his first encounter with Randy. He responded, "It scared me to death. It was inspirational. It was life-changing, not only from a musician standpoint... the first time I met Randy, he came to a rehearsal when I was rehearsing with Gary. He was a big Gary Moore fan, as most Les Paul players are, I think. He came to our rehearsal, and that's when I met him. He was really in awe of Gary, and Gary's tone."

The lineup in the band also featured Randy's former Quiet Riot bandmate Rudy Sarzo and keyboardist Lindsay Bridgwater. Tommy was asked if he feels that it was the "best band" that he ever played with. He said, "It was very exciting. From a musical perspective, it was probably the high-water mark of my career. Working with people like Randy Rhoads, guys like that, they kind of grab you by the scruff of your neck and lift you up to their level."

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