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Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
The tragic plane crash that changed Ozzy Osbourne's life: How Black Sabbath singer 'never got over' the death of guitarist pal Randy Rhoads in fireball tragedy that claimed three lives
In the early 1980s Ozzy Osborne's tour of the United States became associated with one of the most shocking incidents in the history of rock and roll. During the era of arena tours bands were associated with outlandish stunts, throwing televisions out of hotel windows and driving cars into atriums and swimming pools. However this incident involved a fatal air crash and nearly killed claimed the lives of Ozzy, his then partner Sharon and the rest of the band. The fireball cut short the life of 25–year–old Randy Rhoads, said to have been a genius in the mould of Eddie Van Halen and Keith Richards. Rhoads, a precocious talent, was hired by Ozzy to join his new band following the Birmingham man's departure from Black Sabbath. But as they set out on the tour bus driven by Andrew Aycock, little did they know the horror that lay ahead. Everything seemed fine until a routine fault developed with the bus's air conditioning system, prompting Andrew to stop at the Flying Baron estates near Orlando in Florida, where he hoped to get the fault fixed. Andrew, who had a pilot's licence, asked band's manager, Jake Duncan and keyboardist Don Airey to join him on a flight in a stolen plane when he decided to buzz the tour bus as a prank to wait anyone who was sleeping. The driver then landed the stolen plane, but decided on a second flight. On this journey he was joined by Rhoads, who boarded the Beech F35 despite a fear of flying. Rachel Youngblood, a makeup artist and hairdresser, also boarded the plane. Airey, the sole witness to the incident, said that he saw the Beachcraft approaching the tour bus at a very low altitude. At this point Don became concerned that the plane might hit him, so he threw himself to the ground. One of the craft's wings then clipped the bus, at which point it flipped over and collided with a colonial era mansion. The pilot and two passengers all died in the ensuing fireball, and had to be identified through dental records and jewellery they were wearing. A report in the New York Times read:'The lead guitarist of the rock group headed by Ozzy Osbourne was killed today, along with two other persons, when a plane in which they were buzzing a mansion struck a van and crashed into the house, the authorities said. 'Randall Rhodes, 25 years old, the guitarist; Andrew Aycock, 36, identified as the pilot, and Rachel Youngblood, 58, were killed in the crash, Deputy Sheriff Mike Smalt of Lake County said. 'Mr. Osbourne, known for such outrageous stage antics as biting off the head of a live bat, was in the van when one of the plane's wings clipped it but escaped injury, the deputy sheriff said. 'Several other members of the group were in the two–story colonial house, but fled before it was destroyed by flaming gasoline. 'The group was staying at the mansion before a concert appearance that was to be held today in Leesburg but fled before it was destroyed by flaming gasoline. 'The group was staying at the mansion before a concert appearance that was to be held today in Leesburg.' Speaking to Rolling Stone about the crash which claimed three lives, Ozzy said: 'To this day, as I'm talking to you now, I'm back in that field looking at this f***** plane wreck and a house on fire.' 'You never get over something like that. You're in shock.' Ozzy wanted to abandon the tour, but Sharon is said to have reminded of him of the age old dictum that the 'show must go on' The tour did continue, only for a second incident which nearly claimed Sharon's life at New York's Madison Square Garden. A fan threw a firework on stage, which bounded around and then hit Sharon on the neck and then exploded, leaving her on the floor in a pool of blood. At this point the lights went on and Ozzy had to perform. Bernie Tormé, who was drafted in to replace Rhoads, recounted the incident to Rolling Stone. Mr Tormé, who once played with Deep Purple, said: 'Someone in the audience chucks a firework or something, which does the impossible and bounces under the [scrim] and hits Sharon in the neck, where it explodes — boom — right in front of me. She goes down like a rag doll — blood everywhere — two crew guys run out and pick her up and she's gone. 'There was just a pool of blood left. I seriously thought she was dead. But the thing was, I was the only one in the band who could see any of this happening. 'No one in the band knows about what happened, and there's no chance to tell Ozzy. It's not like a Rolling Stones gig where Keith can stroll up to Mick and say, "Hey, man, I think your old lady's taken incoming." 'I was more than a bit distracted for the first half of the show until one of the crew signaled to me that she was OK.' A subsequent report by the National Transportation Safety Board later found that the aircrash which claimed three lives was due to 'pilot error'. The board deemed the plane to have been 'stolen' by Aycock in that he did not have permission to fly it. The report read: 'The pilot, who was a rock group driver, took an aircraft from the hangar without permission to joy ride members of the group. 'During the second flight the aircraft wing hit the bus during one of several low passes over the area. The aircraft then hit a tree and a residence. A post crash fire occurred. The pilot's last medical certificate was dated 11/16/79.'
Telegraph
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Oasis, Wembley Stadium, review: Enough tears to fix the water shortage
I was slightly hoping, from a purely critical point of view, that the eighth concert of Oasis's much-hyped reunion tour – and their first of seven shows at London's Wembley Stadium – might somehow deviate from the raucous joy-filled carnival of the first seven. Some on-stage tension between Liam Gallagher and older brother Noel, perhaps. Or a steadfast refusal by Liam to sing the right notes in the right order. Britpop's enfants terribles couldn't still be on blistering form, could they? Well, yes. Scorching form, actually. This was raw, loud, bracingly unpretentious, thankfully apolitical… and proof that rock and roll is the ultimate democratic artform. The stage set was simple. Liam, in fine voice and sporting a velvet beanie hat, may have looked like an urban gillie, but, my goodness, his voice was powerful. Some Might Say and Slide Away were momentous. And Noel seemed the most relaxed he's been all tour. This was the gig at which all the band's celebrity chums were present. Sienna Miller, Noel's ex-wife Meg Mathews, and tennis star Jack Draper, were among the celebs. But they were, at best, a side show. This was all about the 90,000 fans. I pulled pints at an Oasis concert in Finsbury Park in 2002 – after the band's mid-1990s imperial phase but before they imploded in 2009 – and it was among the most miserable days of my working life. Pouring rain and 50,000 gnarly drunk people. A corridor of police horses awaiting outside. No thanks. Here, the intoxication was celebratory. What changed? Nostalgia's a mollifying cushion. But mainly those fans grew up and had kids, many of whom were here. The sense of occasion was off the scale, and rightly so. Oasis are only playing 17 UK shows; they'd need to play 170 to satisfy last year's demand for tickets. The band were tight, held together by rhythm guitarist Paul 'Bonehead' Arthurs. He left the band in 1999 but, as tonight proved, provided the 'Oasis chug' that gave many of the songs their heft. Noel's solo numbers – Little by Little and The Masterplan – were the emotional heart of this extraordinary show. Live Forever, with Liam back on vocal duty, was dedicated to the late Ozzy Osbourne. It's astonishing that all but three of the 23 songs played tonight were released in an 18-month blitzkrieg between April 1994 and October 1995, many of them as B-sides. Surely only The Beatles between 1962's Love Me Do and 1964's Can't Buy Me Love can beat that in terms of mass cultural impact. Or perhaps ABBA, following the release of SOS in 1975. The rockers, like Roll With It and Rock 'n' Roll Star were phenomenal. Yet the music's only one thing. These concerts matter for another reason. The economy's shrinking, taxes are rising, pubs are permanently shuttering, trains are creaking, supermarket food costs so much it's security tagged and Britain hasn't produced a decent mainstream rock band for decades. In other words, the UK feels about as effervescent as Keir Starmer's haircut right now. Reasons to be cheerful? Lionesses, Lions and Bazballers aside, there aren't any. So, believe it or not, something as slight as a rock concert by greying men in their 50s can actually make a difference. Sometimes the shallow end is where the important stuff happens. If last summer belonged to the Swifties, this summer belongs to Oasis and their fans. Here's a way to end the current water shortage. Attach a water butt to Wembley and catch 90,000's people's tears. When Noel sang Don't Look Back in Anger, and Liam Wonderwall, there wasn't a dry eye in the house. Extraordinary scenes. Will there be more after this tour? I don't know, but assuming vocal cords and brotherly relations hold firm, I'd bet they do three or four Knebworths next summer with a valedictory sign-off at Glastonbury 2027. They'd be daft not to. Prepare to refresh your browser. It was utterly mesmerising.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sharon Osbourne Gives 2 Word Response to Rocker After Ozzy's Death
Sharon Osbourne in the days after her famed rock and roll husband Ozzy Osbourne died at age 76 hasn't said much. The family issued a collective statement the day the Prince of Darkness died, July 22, 2025, but Sharon didn't say anything on her own until a day later. Gavin Rossdale, former lead singer and guitarist for Bush, gave tribute to Osbourne, who he called "a true legend," in an Instagram post. Sharon Osbourne replied, simply: "Bless you." The Osbourne family's statement a day earlier mourned the loss. "It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time," the statement read. Sharon Osbourne, their three children and Osbourne's child Louis Osbourne, whom he had with his ex-wife Thelma Riley, signed the statement. Osbourne's two other children, Elliot Kingsley and Jessica Osbourne, did not sign. The rest of Rossdale's post included a black heart emoji and some detail about how he met Osbourne. "i met ozzy through jack just a few times but he was so warm and kind and funny and i love that memory .sending much love to his family at this difficult time. Rest in power," he wrote. Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne married in 1982 and had been together ever since. He was married only once before, to Riley. Ozzy Osbourne is largely famous for his role as the front man for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-inducted Black Sabbath. His bandmates also paid tribute to their "brother." Guitarist Tony Iommi called it "heartbreaking." "Geezer, Bill and myself have lost our brother," Iommi said. "My thoughts go out to Sharon and all the Osbourne family. Rest in peace Oz." Bassist and lyricist Geezer Butler remembered their last show together, just weeks before Osbourne's death. "Goodbye dear friend- thanks for all those years- we had some great fun," he said. "4 kids from Aston- who'd have thought, eh?" Aston is a reference to the town in Birmingham, UK, where drummer Bill Ward and the rest of the band members came together, and where Black Sabbath played its last concert with Osbourne. Ward issued his "deepest condolences," adding: "Never goodbye. Thank you forever.' "Where will I find you now? In the memories, our unspoken embraces, our missed phone calls, no, you're forever in my heart," he said. Sharon Osbourne Gives 2 Word Response to Rocker After Ozzy's Death first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 23, 2025
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Alice Cooper says Ozzy Osbourne was ‘unmatched showman and cultural icon'
Rockstar Alice Cooper has described Ozzy Osbourne as an 'unmatched showman and cultural icon' following news of the death of the Black Sabbath frontman at the age of 76. Cooper, 77, whose real name is Vincent Damon Furnier, paid tribute to the heavy metal singer, joining the likes of Sir Elton John, Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood and other famous faces, after his death was announced on Tuesday evening. Posting on Instagram, following a performance in Cardiff dedicated to the late singer, Cooper said: 'The whole world is mourning Ozzy tonight. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Alice Cooper (@alicecooper) 'Over his long career, he earned immense respect among his peers and from fans around the world as an unmatched showman and cultural icon. 'I always saw Ozzy as a cross between the prince of darkness, which is the persona his fans saw, and the court jester. That was the side that his family and friends saw. 'He was and will continue to be a rock and roll legend. Rock and Roll is a family and a fraternity. When we lose one of our own, it bleeds. I wish I would have gotten to know my brother Ozzy better. 'A titanic boulder has crashed, but rock will roll on.' Sir Elton John remembered Osbourne as a 'huge trailblazer' who 'secured his place in the pantheon of rock gods'. Writing on Instagram, Sir Elton said: 'He was also one of the funniest people I've ever met. I will miss him dearly. To Sharon and the family, I send my condolences and love. Elton xx.' I am so very sad to hear of the death of Ozzy Osbourne 💔🙏 What a lovely goodbye concert he had at Back To The Beginning in Birmingham🙏☀️❤️🎤 — Ronnie Wood (@ronniewood) July 22, 2025 The Rolling Stones' Wood also paid tribute after joining Osbourne at Black Sabbath's last gig at Villa Park, Birmingham, earlier this month. He posted on X: 'I am so very sad to hear of the death of Ozzy Osbourne. 'What a lovely goodbye concert he had at Back To The Beginning in Birmingham.' Singer Yungblud, who sang Black Sabbath's Changes at the Back To The Beginning farewell concert on July 5, said he was 'heartbroken' by the news and called Osbourne 'the greatest of all time'. 'I didn't think you would leave so soon, the last time we met you were so full of life and your laugh filled up the room,' he wrote in a social media post. Rock band Motorhead said they had lost a 'dear friend' in a post that recalled the band's late vocalist Lemmy's friendship with Osbourne. The message read: 'We lost our dear friend today. Ozzy was a pioneer, a guiding force for all in hard rock and metal, and a great guy too. 'Lemmy and Ozzy were brothers in arms who enjoyed many adventures together, and his loss is seismic. RIP Ozzy, we will always love and celebrate you… ' AC/DC posted that Osbourne's death was a 'great loss to all that loved him', with Metallica members calling him an 'icon' and 'mentor' while sharing images from photographers Ross Halfin and Noah Abrams. 'He taught us how to play in the big leagues while at the same time being warm, welcoming, engaging, and all around brilliant,' they wrote on Instagram. Among the other stars paying tribute were former footballer Sir David Beckham, Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong, Van Halen's Sammy Hagar, Jon Bon Jovi, singer Donny Osmond, Queen guitarist Sir Brian May and US movie star Adam Sandler, who said he felt 'so happy' that he was able to meet Osbourne. Foo Fighters said in a social media post: 'Rock and Roll would not be as loud or as fun' without Osbourne, while Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant wrote he had 'truly changed the planet of rock'. Kiss bassist Gene Simmons told NBC News that behind the outgoing stage persona was a 'loving father' and 'dedicated husband'. 'There was never an Ozzy before Ozzy,' he said. Sir Brian said Osbourne's final concert earlier in the month 'was a glorious way to say goodbye' to the heavy metal vocalist who died on July 22 at the age of 76. Actor Jason Momoa shared a photo of himself alongside Osbourne and his wife Sharon to Instagram, writing: 'Love you @ozzyosbourne All my aloha @sharonosbourne and ohana. So grateful.' Aston Villa, Osbourne's home-town football club, said it was 'saddened' to learn of the star's passing. 'Growing up in Aston, not far from Villa Park, Ozzy always held a special connection to the club and the community he came from,' the club said. An honour to have celebrated the extraordinary life and legacy of Ozzy Osbourne just weeks ago. Devastated to hear the news of his death today. One of the greatest gifts my city gave the world. My thoughts are with his family. In Ozzy's own words: Birmingham forever. — Shabana Mahmood MP (@ShabanaMahmood) July 22, 2025 'The thoughts of everyone at Aston Villa are with his wife Sharon, his family, friends, and countless fans at this extremely difficult time.' Justice Secretary and Birmingham Ladywood MP Shabana Mahmood said she was among those who celebrated Osbourne's life and legacy just over two weeks ago. She wrote on X: 'Devastated to hear the news of his death today. One of the greatest gifts my city gave the world. 'My thoughts are with his family. In Ozzy's own words: Birmingham forever.'
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Legendary Guitar God Had This Response to Being Slammed by Keith Richards
Legendary Guitar God Had This Response to Being Slammed by Keith Richards originally appeared on Parade. As one of the most iconic guitar players in rock and roll history, Keith Richards has never been one to shy away from criticizing other popular bands, from Metallica to Black Sabbath to The Who. But if there's one person who didn't seem to be particularly bothered by what Richards had to say about his group, it would have to be equally legendary Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page. While promoting the release of his solo album Crosseyed Heart in 2015, Richards slammed Led Zeppelin as "hollow" in an interview with Rolling Stone — though he placed the blame mostly on late drummer John Bonham, and was quick to praise Page. 'I love Jimmy Page, but as a band, no, with John Bonham thundering down the highway in an uncontrolled 18-wheeler," he said, adding, "He had cornered the market. Jimmy is a brilliant player but I always felt there was something a little hollow about it.' In another video shared on Richards' website somewhere around 2004, he expressed a similar sentiment, calling Page "one of the best guitar players ever known" and Bonham "heavy-handed." Following the remarks Richards made in 2015, Page gave an impressively diplomatic response in an interview with Classic Rock magazine. "Keith can say what he wants. He's Keith Richards," Page said, adding, "I think he's done some amazing work. I respect his playing. And he has a solo album out. But if I was promoting a new album, would I be more caustic? The answer is… no." 'I'm not sure what he means by calling Led Zeppelin hollow," Page continued. "I think he's got his tongue in his cheek. What we did was really cool.' Clearly, millions of fans agree with Page. (And as Richards' bandmate Mick Jagger sang, "it's only rock and roll.")Legendary Guitar God Had This Response to Being Slammed by Keith Richards first appeared on Parade on Jul 21, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 21, 2025, where it first appeared. Solve the daily Crossword
