Weeks after they were first stolen, a number of items once belonging to late guitarist Randy Rhoads have been found in a dumpster in Hollywood.
As any fan of rock music could attest to, the untimely passing of Randy Rhoads was a tragic incident, with the guitarist’s work alongside Ozzy Osbourne often cited as some of the best music of the era.
Sadly though, November 28th brought with it reports that a number of items once belonging to the rocker had been stolen from the Musonia School of Music, a school founded by his mother 70 years ago.
While news of this theft sent shockwaves through the music community, even Ozzy Osbourne joined in the chorus of voices pleading for the return of these items.
“Musonia was run by Randy’s late mother, Delores, and after his death 37 years ago, the school became something of a pilgrimage to his fans from all over the world,” Osbourne explained. “It is a place where the Rhoads Family happily opened their hearts to share the life of Randy.
“As you can imagine, the items that were stolen, including Randy’s first electric guitar, are irreplaceable to the Rhoads Family.
“I am heartbroken that these treasured physical memories of Randy and Delores have been taken from the family so I’ve decided to personally offer a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction and/or return of all stolen items.”
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Now though, there’s some good news in this story, with a number of the stolen items being found after being tossed into a dumpster in Hollywood.
Check out a news report on the discovery of Rhoads’ items:
As ABC7 reports, the items were found by resident Bobbi Fredriksz, who claimed she saw a guitar, photos, and boxes of equipment in a dumpster while walking her dog.
Despite not thinking much of it, Fredriksz realised the importance of her findings once she saw a news report on the theft after returning home.
“As I was laying in bed, not feeling well, when it came on I was like wait a minute, oh my God,” she explained. “I ran all the way back over here it was still here. Somebody else started to see it and called police.”
“We’re really thankful the Osbournes sent a message out to the community yesterday,” added Nick D’Argenzio, Rhoads’ nephew. “I think that’s what spread the word further. We’re grateful to the Osbournes for helping promote the news about it.”
Blabbermouth adds that a number of items are still missing, including a Harmony Rocket which was the first guitar that Randy Rhoads ever played, and two horns that belonged to his mother.
Check out Randy Rhoads’ work on Ozzy Osbourne’s ‘Crazy Train’:
