Bob Daisley shared memories of his initial meeting with Randy Rhoads, revealing his determination to recruit the guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne’s solo band despite resistance from the record label.
The original lineup of Ozzy Osbourne’s band, featuring talented musicians like Daisley and drummer Lee Kerslake alongside the extraordinary Randy Rhoads, played a significant role in the success of the metal vocalist’s solo career. While it’s clear that Rhoads was the standout talent in Ozzy’s group, Daisley tells Guitar World in a recent interview that there was a time when Rhoads almost didn’t get the opportunity.
Reflecting on the early days of forming Ozzy’s band, Daisley expressed his surprise at Rhoads’ youthful appearance when Ozzy mentioned inviting someone from a music school. “It was just me and Ozzy at first,” he explained. “Ozzy talked about this young guitar player in LA who taught at a music school. I pictured an older guy with slippers, a cardigan, and glasses. But Ozzy said, ‘No, his name is Randy Rhoads.’ I thought, ‘Okay, let’s bring him in.'”
While Ozzy was intrigued by the young guitarist, the record label executives were skeptical about Rhoads, who would go on to become one of the most influential guitarists of his era. Nevertheless, Daisley was adamant that Rhoads deserved a chance, stating, “If I hadn’t pushed to get the band going, Randy wouldn’t have come in. It was because I stood firm against the other two guys.”
Eventually, in late 1979, Ozzy, Daisley, and Rhoads got together for a jam session, where Daisley quickly recognized the chemistry among them. “We all caught the train to Ozzy’s place in Stratford and played together for the first time,” he recalled.
“After about 20 or 30 minutes, Randy and I exchanged looks and said almost in unison, ‘I like the way you play.’ I knew right then that this would work and that we were onto something special.”
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