More than four decades have passed since that terrible morning in Florida, yet the memory still claws at Sharon Osbourne’s heart
In Hulu’s new docuseries Into the Void: Life, Death & Heavy Metal, Sharon opens up about the tragedy she has rarely spoken of in public — the plane crash that killed guitarist Randy Rhoads at just 25 years old.
The year was 1982. Ozzy Osbourne’s solo career was on a meteoric rise, powered in large part by the dazzling brilliance of Randy, a young guitarist whose talent seemed limitless. But on that fateful morning, while the band was traveling through Leesburg, Florida, disaster struck. A small plane carrying Rhoads and makeup artist Rachel Youngblood clipped a tour bus and exploded in flames.
Sharon’s voice in the documentary is fragile, almost broken by time.
“It was like a horror movie,” she whispers through tears. “I was screaming… I can still smell the fuel.”
The crash killed Rhoads and Youngblood instantly, leaving Ozzy’s band shattered and the music world reeling. For Sharon, who had taken on the dual roles of Ozzy’s partner and manager, the shock was immediate and unbearable. She recalls unleashing fury on the tour manager, demanding how anyone could let Randy — “that baby,” as she called him — climb into the plane in the first place.
Rudy Sarzo, then Ozzy’s bassist, paints an equally devastating picture. He remembers finding Ozzy in a nearby church, wailing uncontrollably, broken by grief. “I’d never seen him like that,” Sarzo admits. “It was as though the world had ended.” For a man already known for his fragility, the loss of Randy was a wound from which he would never fully recover.
Randy Rhoads was more than just a guitarist. To Ozzy, to Sharon, and to the fans, he represented a rebirth. After leaving Black Sabbath, Ozzy’s career could have faded into chaos. Instead, Randy’s fiery riffs and inventive spirit gave him a second act. Albums like Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman showcased a partnership that felt destined to last decades. That destiny was cut short in seconds.
Decades later, the pain remains. Sharon admits in the series that Randy became almost “mystical, eternal… music that will never die.” His legacy has transcended time, with guitarists citing his influence across generations. Each solo, each haunting riff, is a reminder of the brilliance the world lost.
The timing of the docuseries adds another layer of sorrow. Filmed just weeks before Ozzy’s own passing in July 2025, Sharon’s recollections now feel like both testimony and farewell. The episode closes with a dedication to Randy — and to Ozzy — leaving fans shattered, confronted by the fragility of life even in the world of heavy metal, where legends often seem immortal.
For Sharon Osbourne, the memories may never fade. The smell of fuel, the sound of her own screams, the image of Randy’s youthful smile — they remain etched into her soul. Forty years later, she still carries the weight of that day. And as the docuseries makes painfully clear, some losses never stop burning.
