Today’s Blimp Time-Hop

35 years ago today, Ozzy Osbourne played his first solo show at the Civic Center without his close friend, guitarist Randy Rhoads.  This was the Diary of a Madman tour making a stop in Portland on May 22,1982. Tragically, Randy was killed in a plane crash two months earlier in Florida.

Guitarist Brad Gillis of Night Ranger stepped up for the tough gig and joined Ozzy for the rest of the dates. A show on the tour was recorded at the Ritz in NYC and released as the Speak of the Devil live album.

Watch Ozzy with Brad Gillis on guitar doing Randy proud a few weeks after the Portland show in ’82!