Guitar instructor Adrian Galysh explains the Randy Rhoads fan letter he wrote as a 12-year-old boy.
Adrian Recalls The Extraordinary Story About His Randy Rhoads Fan Letter.
Accomplished musician, guitar instructor and Guitar World contributor Adrian Galysh tells his fascinating story about making a connection with one of his primary guitar idols, Randy Rhoads, in particular, with Randy’s mother, Delores.
Adrian recounts the touching Randy Rhoads fan letter story, which involves a full-circle moment that was over 30 years in the making.
A recent A-Z gig at the D’Argenzio Winery Room in Burbank, CA, turned out to be one the most special, memorable, emotional, and powerful events of my life.
My performing partner, August Zadra and I love playing there and have always loved the energy of the room. We consider Kathy and Richard D’Argenzio to be our friends.
“After playing a set and then starting the next, Kathy and Richard came up to the front where August and I were performing. They normally like to do this, usually thanking us for performing, and thanking the audience for attending. This time, they had a surprise for me.”
For those who don’t know, Kathy is Randy Rhoads’ sister and Richard his brother-in-law….
I often cite Randy as “THE reason” I began playing guitar, and then endeavored to make a life-long commitment to being a professional musician.
This past year I visited my parents in Virginia, and while I was there I asked them if they had a tube with some old posters that used to hang on my wall as a child. I was specifically looking for my Randy Rhoads poster. They still had it, and on a whim I brought it back to Los Angeles with me. I emailed Kathy to tell her about this poster, with the hopes of, just maybe, displaying it at D’Argenzio along with some of their other great Randy Rhoads memorabilia.
A short time later she emailed me back, saying “Don’t let me forget, next time I see you, I have something for you.
About three months had gone by, so it wasn’t no longer at the forefront of my mind. But I was excited to show her this poster which, with the exception of four tack holes, was still in great shape after 30 years!
After Randy’s mother Delores died (at age 95) in 2015, Kathy and her husband were in the long process of going through mom’s things and sorting out her household. After going through thousands of pieces of fan mail that filled an entire room, Richard came across one with my name on it, dated November 12, 1987, he asked Kathy if she thought this was the same “Adrian Galysh” as yours truly.
Adrian Galysh is Surprised by Letter He Wrote Over 30 Years Ago!
WHAT ARE THE ODDS? That at a young age I would be introduced to Blizzard of Ozz, be impacted so much that I would write a Randy Rhoads fan letter to his mother, then pursue a career as a professional guitarist, eventually move to Los Angeles, 16 years later get to know his sister and brother-in-law, Kathy and Richard, and then after another three years have them find this letter that even I had forgotten I wrote when I was 12!?!?
“All I can say is, THANK YOU. What a gift. I’m not sure how the universe can top this. WOW.”
Below, we have transcribed…
Verbatim, the original Randy Rhoads fan letter sent to Delores.
Dear Mrs. Rhaods, I am a great fan of Randy. I hear that you write back, that is good to know that “stars” love there fans enough and take out time to even read the letters. A little about me: My name is Adrian Galysh I am 12 years old. I play guitar. I strive to be as good as Randy R̶o̶ Rhoads.
Randy Rhoads came to my life early 1987. I had no idea he was dead. When I got Blizzard of Ozz it blew me away, Mr. Crowley’s lead at the end of the song is the greatest guitar playing in the whole world.
I am thankful for “Tribute”, I have never been to a concert before in my life and not knowing Randy before he died caused me not to hear him play. In Tribute there is a I get of excitement, but now my $13 Tribute tape is busted. The tape gets eaten by my casset players when I listen to it.
(Right Arrow Drawn With Word “Turn”)
I always got the feeling that I had Randy as a friend and he is still alive. I have a poster in my room a̶n̶d̶ of Randy and I ever talk to it. God has blessed you with a talent Randy. And I do to