Ultimate Rhoads

Gentlemen....

About 2-3 weeks ago while collecting data from this site and RR.TK for my future thread regarding the 3/19/1982 incident, I had made an inquiry to Don Airey on whether or not he would be interested in possibly doing and email interview and answering a few questions from this site and its members. Out of nowhere i just received a reply back from Don saying that he would be happy to!

I cannot remember everything I wrote to him in the message as it was a couple paragraphs long and it is not there in his reply to refresh my memory. But I will tell you what I do remember and that is I said that these questions will be respectful if he did take part. I also mentioned that his being interviewed for the Dakota Films documentary with Peter Margolis would have been the highlight for many Randy fans as he has rarely talked in public about Randy and also the incident of that day. I believe I had mentioned that people are dropping like flies lately and we may never hear their stories since the documentary went south... I had a few that night needless to say


Anyway... I am sure most of you have some questions for Don regarding anything Randy, or the rest of Don's work spanning his career. If you do ask about the 3/19/1982 please tread lightly and be respectful. Obviously I will have to weed out questions and keep the best ones and will give credit for each. Tentatively i think about 15-20 questions in total would be nice, not to much, not to little.


I will set a deadline for questions to be submitted by 1/14/2016 at 12:00pm EST (Sunday)

good job shockwave!!!!congratulations!!!!

PM or post Don questions here?

Cool deal!

PM Please

That's awesome man and great work!

Fantastic work Shockwave. That's really good. Don's a decent guy by all accounts.

I would like to ask Don if there was more than one tour bus on 3/19. There has never been a report of another bus and I was just curious how Randy, Don, Ozzy, Sharon, Rudy, Tommy, Rachel, Wanda, and Jake all fit on one bus.

Do you want us to PM the question or just post it here?

What would be the easiest way to go about?
One of my questions would be: Did they jam-out as a band in rehearsals or did they just go thru basic set-list? Also, did Don ever write stuff with Randy; like song-basic that were planned for the third album?

Was the '82 Diary Tour "band jam" ever intended to possibly become a full song and how did that piece come about?

Questions above noted, thanks

I have received a few questions during this past week but nowhere near what I thought I would have. I will say a few people came out of the woodwork who are not regular posters which is great to see you guys reading the boards still. Surprisingly only one of the more frequent posters here asked a question.

This is your chance to ask whatever you want, we will not get a chance like this again most likely! I am going to extend the deadline until next Saturday morning, 1/21. And hopefully get a few more questions. .That day I will rewrite anyway questions that need altering to be a little more clear and to the point. I have a list of questions myself that most of you would ask anyway but the more Input the better.

Not knowing what people who pmed you asked, I'll ask the obvious:

Was there any video, to your knowledge, that was recorded whether it was video from a gig or otherwise?


Why did you add keyboard parts during the shows that weren't played on the albums? To fill out the sound of the band, or so you could do more during the songs and not be bored? (haha)

Do you feel that you could have added more, or would you have done anything different to the keyboard parts on the Diary of a Madman album had you been there for the recording of it?

Did you and Randy ever hang out while on tour or in the studio for Blizzard of Ozz?

my question would be too direct and personal..Don lost a fellow musician and a friend so i wouldnt disrespect him or bring him back to that horrible day..i do look forward to his answers.god bless you Mr. Airey.

I have 3 Qs that I wouldn't mind asking

1) Tommy Aldridge has mentioned that Randy was the best guitarist he has ever worked/ been on stage with. How do you (Don) rate Randy compared to the talented players you have been with over the years?

2) On the Diary tour - did the band rehearse just Over The Mountain, Believer & Flying High Again from the Diary LP or were all the songs from the LP rehearsed? And do you have an opinion why more songs from Diary were not performed live?

3) What was it like doing the Living Loud album? Working with Bob & Lee again & also Steve Morse & Jimmy Barnes?