Ozzy pays tribute to his friend Randy Rhoads in new Ross Halfin photo book

Randy and Ozzy — (Image credit: Ross Halfin)

Ozzy Osbourne pays tribute to the life and legacy of the late, great Randy Rhoads in a lavish new photo book from top rock photographer Ross Halfin.

Former Quiet Riot guitarist Rhoads joined Ozzy’s solo band in 1979, aged 22, and co-wrote every song on 1980’s Blizzard Of Ozz and 1981’s Diary Of A Madman, the two albums which set up Osbourne’s post-Sabbath career. On March 19, 1982, while touring Ozzy’s second album, Rhoads was tragically killed in a freak accident, when a light aircraft in which he was a passenger collided with the band's tour bus.

“It’s weird, I only knew Randy for a couple of years, but it felt much longer. I felt like I knew him for my whole life,” says Osbourne. “I still think about him a lot, and I do wonder what he would be doing now.”

“I owe him a huge amount – he was the beginning of me. He wasn’t just my guitarist, he was my friend.”

“He was a monster of a player. What an incredible find he was. Randy was a great player and a good guy. He knew what he wanted…and wouldn’t stop ‘til he got it.”

Featuring an introduction from Ozzy and an epilogue from Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello, the book will be available in three editions: the standard book, which features the volume and a cloth slim case, as well a Deluxe Signed Leather Edition and Super Deluxe Edition. The latter two editions are autographed by Osbourne and Halfin. The book is available now to pre-order.

Rufus Publications say, “Randy Rhoads by Ross Halfin celebrates his time with Randy and Ozzy Osbourne both onstage and off with hundreds of beautiful, largely unseen images from those early years.”

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