Rediscovered 1987 Ozzy Osbourne Interview Reveals Personal Details Behind Randy Rhoads Tribute Album

An unearthed 1987 chat with Ozzy Osbourne reveals the raw emotions behind "Tribute," the live record featuring his guitarist and friend, Randy Rhoads. The gifted guitarist died at 24 in a 1982 plane crash.

"I thought it would be sick to release it sooner after Rhoads' death," said Osbourne at the time, as reported by Variety. "But I was under a contractual obligation to deliver a double-live album."

The talk took place in a hotel suite. Ozzy sat draped in a leopard-skin robe, his fingers glinting with diamonds as he spoke.

Fans kept asking for the album, and so did Rhoads' mom. "Randy's mother phoned up Sharon phoned up Sharon, because she'd been so inundated with letters and phone calls about the live album," Ozzy said. They also added a track called "Dee Outtakes," an instrumental that showcases Randy's work in the studio.

Dana Strum brought Rhoads to meet Ozzy at 4 AM after a wild night, and two minutes of guitar playing was all it took. The pair went on to record the albums Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman.

Then, tragedy struck near Orlando. The bus driver, who also had a pilot's license, took Rhoads up for photos in a small plane. It clipped their tour bus during a maneuver and crashed into a nearby house.

Just two weeks later, Ozzy played Madison Square Garden with Bernie Torme on guitar. "The kids knew what the deal was, and they carried me through," he recalled during the same interview.

He also spoke warmly of Sharon, his wife and manager. Asked about being managed by her, he said, "I wouldn't have it any other way."