Randy Rhoads 30th Anniversary Annual Memorial: Video Footage & Rhoads Family Interviews | Guitar Interactive Magazine

This year saw the 30th anniversary of the passing of legendaryvirtuoso Randy Rhoads. The annual memorial event for the guitaristwas held on March 19th and took place at the Mountain ViewCemetery in San Bernardino, California. 

Leja Siv Harju of Rock N Roll Industries magazine was there toconduct interviews with Randy Rhoads' brother Kelle and sisterKathy, along with Richard D'Argenzio and longtime family friendBobby Kelekian. Check out the footage below. The fullreport is available at the Rock N Roll Industries magazine.

Before his tragic death at the age of 25, Randy Rhoads was on afast track to being hailed by critics and public alike as thegreatest rock guitar player of all time. Over a short two-yearperiod, Randy recorded two seminal multi-platinum albums with OzzyOsbourne, which are heralded today as among the most noteworthyrecordings in hard rock music history. Through his jaw-droppingsix-string work on songs such as "Crazy Train", "Mr. Crowley" and"Flying High Again", Randy Rhoads achieved legendary status as aguitar icon and his artistic legacy continues to grow with eachpassing year.

A brilliant guitar virtuoso, Randy's masterful ability ofbridging rock and classical techniques helped him forge agroundbreaking style of guitar playing. In 1981, Guitar Playermagazine honored Randy by selecting him as best new talent of theyear. Humble and self-effacing, Randy refused to rest on hislaurels. Instead, being bestowed with this prestigious awardmotivated him to strive for greater creative heights. Tragically,Randy's life ended much too soon when on the morning of March 19,1982 he was killed in a small private plane that careened into thegarage of a plantation home in Leesburg, Florida.

Randy Rhoads' ascendancy to super-stardom was inevitable.Tirelessly honing his craft, he was a devoted student of hisinstrument, endlessly practicing and perfecting his skills. Hisdays were spent as a guitar teacher and by night he solidified hisrising reputation as the "next big thing" on the Hollywood clubscene. His big break arrived when he assumed the lead guitar slotin Ozzy Osbourne's solo band. Soon the entire music world would bedazzled by his spectacular flights of fiery fretboard sizzle,swiftly recognizing the merits of this burgeoning guitargenius. 

With his dynamic six-string wizardry, Randy Rhoads invented anexciting and technically advanced style of explosive hard rockguitar playing that dominated the '80s music scene. Decades later,his massive influence continues to shape, educate and inspirefirst, second and third generation players and music fans thatmarvel at his extraordinary musicality and stunning instrumentalprowess. Today, Randy's legendary status as a guitar hero isassured, joining the pantheon of rock's Mt. Olympus where he standsproudly alongside such revered guitar heroes as Jimi Hendrix, EricClapton, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, and Ritchie Blackmore.

No one-trick pony, Randy was well versed in a multitude ofmusical genres seamlessly cross-navigating rock, blues andclassical. In fact, his immense love of classical music continuedto be a driving force in his life. Until his untimely death, hecontinued to take classical guitar lessons in an effort to breaknew ground as a player.

Today, mythologized and immortalized, Randy Rhoads has become averitable pop culture institution. Paying homage to his pioneeringability, Marshall Amplifiers created a custom amplifier that bearsRandy's name and signature sound. Action figures and sculptureswith Randy's likeness have become highly sought after collector'sitems, while Jackson Guitars have sold millions of Randy Rhoadsmodel guitars, pleasing the late guitarist's loyal legion ofdedicated followers. His image graces innumerable music magazinecovers annually.