Several items belonging to legendary guitarist Randy Rhoads and his family were recovered Saturday after being stolen from the Musonia School of Music on Thanksgiving.
The items were found by Bobbi Fredriksz, who was taking her dog on a morning walk in North Hollywood. As she passed by an open dumpster in an alley, she noticed the stolen items and moved them out of the rain.
“I knew in my gut something was wrong,” she said.
Fredriksz’s discovery occurred the same day Ozzy Osbourne, who played with Rhoads in the early 80s, asked his fans for tips regarding the Thanksgiving robbery on his Facebook, even offering $25,000 of his own money as a reward.
“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 [his mother] 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,” the post said in part.
Fortunately, a call quickly came in with information. More than 40 years’ worth of photos and fan gifts were found in the recycling bin. Nearby, at Sunnyslope Ave. and Burbank Blvd., police recovered a trumpet given to Dolores Rhodes by her great grandfather during the Great Depression.
“The trumpet is valuable because it’s my grandmother’s,” said Nick D’Argenzio, Randy Rhoads’ nephew. “She passed away recently. This is her legacy.”
The Musonia School of Music, the location of the robbery, was founded by Dolores in 1948. Randy gave guitar lessons there before his death in 1982. Since then, the school, currently run by Randy’s brother Kelle, has become something of a pilgrimage site for fans around the world.
“My uncle Randy is a very important part of rock history,” D’Argenzio said.
While D’Argenzio and his family are grateful for what has been recovered, one crucial piece of the Rhoads collection remains missing: his first electric guitar, a Harmony Rocket from 1963.
Photo Credit: NBC4
Source: NBC Los Angeles
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