10 Rock Bands That Survived The Deaths Of Key Members

After leaving Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne seemed to be washed up before he met Randy Rhoads. Once the polka-dotted guitar wizard entered the world of the Prince of Darkness, Ozzy came roaring back with hits like "Crazy Train" and "Flying High Again." While the band was touring through the Florida, one pitstop turned tragic when a plane carrying Rhoads went down in an open field, killing everyone onboard.

More than just a guitar player, Rhoads assisted Ozzy in penning his now-classic hits and was one notch above everyone else on the metal guitar circuit. While replacing a player of that stature was near-impossible, Osbourne soldiered on with stronger guitarists like Jake E. Lee on tracks like "Bark at the Moon" and "Shot in the Dark." The guitar position in Ozzy's group has also been filled with other heavy-hitters like Zakk Wylde and even near-collaborations with virtuosos like Steve Vai.

Since then, Ozzy has never forgotten the importance of Rhoads, whom he plays tribute on songs like "See You on the Other Side." For any other band to lose a player like Randy Rhoads, it would almost be expected for the group to fall apart. Then again, expect the unexpected when it comes to Maniacal World of Ozz.