Guitar World acquired a tape of a seminar given by late Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Randy Rhoads at Music City in Greensburg, PA on February 2nd, 1982, only six weeks before his death. Following is an excerpt from the transcription of the lesson presented that day, in which he reveals himself to be every ounce the dedicated—and utterly unassuming—guitar hero.

Q: What kind of music did you play when you first picked up the guitar?

Rhoads: "I’m 25 now, so I don’t remember what I was playing when I was seven. I just played the guitar. One of the early things I remember was strumming (the flamenco guitar standard) 'Malagueñia' on an old Spanish guitar. Later on I just started playing anything I heard on the radio: 'Gloria' or 'Louie Louie' or whatever."

Q: What players did you admire growing up?

Rhoads: "I get asked that all the time: 'Who’s your favorite? What are your influences?' If you play long enough, your influences are bound to change. I never had a phonograph ’til I was, I think, 16, so I couldn’t just sit and copy my favorite players. I had to listen to the radio, and I liked whoever was good. One of my favorites was Mountain and Leslie West—those harmonics and that sustain. I just thought Leslie was the greatest. But now, I don’t have a favorite—I just like anybody who plays guitar."

Q: What do you think of other guitarists, like Michael Schenker?

Rhoads: "I think Michael Schenker is excellent, a great rock player. He’s very melodic and he plays with lots of feeling."

Q: Are there any other players you’d put in that category?

Rhoads: "Oh, I could name a hundred. I mean, everybody who’s out there is really good at what they do. Eddie Van Halen is fantastic, Ritchie Blackmore…"

Q: There are critics who accuse you of copying Eddie Van Halen. Are you influenced by him?

Rhoads: "Well, we’re both from the same town and we were both in local bands. It seemed like everybody in L.A. was a lead guitar player, and we all played very similarly. Everybody used to say we all sounded very much the same."

Read the complete transcrtiption here