Sharon Osbourne describes Ozzy’s guitarist dying
In 1982, Randy Rhoads’ life and legendary career was cut short when he was tragically killed in a plane crash at the age of 25 while on tour with Ozzy Osbourne. The pilot of the plane Rhoads was in – who was also Ozzy’s tour bus driver – clipped the top of the tour bus while attempting a low pass, causing the plane to crash.
In the first episode of the new docuseries “Into the Void: Life, Death & Heavy Metal,” Sharon Osbourne, along with Rhoads’ family and former bandmates, opened up about the crash and his heartbreaking death.
At the time of the incident, Sharon and Ozzy were sleeping inside the bus when the impact jolted them awake. Recalling the graphic details of the fatal flight, Sharon still remembers the smell of fuel and feeling like she was living a nightmare.
“It was like a horror movie, body parts — and I was screaming at the tour manager, and I can remember taking my shoe off and whacking him across the head,” Sharon said, emotionally breaking down.
Along with Rhoads, the pilot and a woman who worked with the Osbournes, Rachel Youngblood, were also killed.
Ozzy’s drummer Tommy Aldridge noted just how angry Sharon was when she discovered they perished in the crash. “When Sharon realized that Randy and Rachel had been killed, she came unglued,” he revealed. “She just went off on our tour manager, screaming, ‘How could you let that baby get on that plane.’”
Bassist Rudy Sarzo recalled finding Sharon “wailing” and “moaning” in “agony” inside a church near their hotel later that day.
Through tears, Sharon explained why she still rarely speaks about Rhoads: “We were all in shock for so long, for so long, and then you have to go back and try and make sense of a story to Randy’s mom. Now you know why I didn’t want to talk about Randy.“
Despite her painful memories, Sharon praised the guitarist’s enduring musical legacy.
“I think about Randy all the time and love that he’s not forgotten,” Sharon said. “Music lovers want to know about him. He’s become this mystical little guy that not many people knew well, and he will live on forever. Music is something that doesn’t die. After we’ve gone, it will live on.”
It should be noted that Sharon’s interview was taped in June 2025 before the death of her husband Ozzy Osbourne.
