Jake E. Lee says that he felt like a “footnote” in Ozzy Osbourne’s legacy until he got to perform at the singer’s retirement show.
During a new interview with the Talk Is Jericho podcast, hosted by pro-wrestler and Fozzy frontman Chris Jericho, the guitarist explains that taking part in Ozzy’s swansong, Back To The Beginning, made him feel “special” after years of considering himself a “forgotten” part of the heavy metal legend’s career.
“It was a great week for me,” says the 68-year-old. “Maybe one of the best weeks of my life. I came in there feeling kind of like a footnote, maybe even an almost forgotten footnote: ‘Oh, yeah, we’ll throw him in there too.’ But everybody treated me so respectfully and [there was] encouragement and support from everybody. It made me feel special.”
When asked why he felt like a footnote before the gig, Lee continues: “I’m not mentioned much in documentaries and things about Ozzy. At the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, you know, not a photo.”
He adds that he was pleasantly surprised to be invited to perform as part of the all-star lineup at Back To The Beginning, revealing that it was the event’s musical director, Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello, who made the call.
“When Tom called, I didn’t know why,” he remembers. “I’d never met him before, but when he called me he said, ‘I can’t imagine doing this without you.’ Hmm, really? Cool! I’m in! I mean, if for no other reason than just to be there for Black Sabbath: all original [members], final show. I’d do it just for that. I’d go tech for somebody!”
Back To The Beginning took place at Birmingham’s Villa Park football stadium, a short distance from where Ozzy grew up in Aston. The all-day show featured such support acts as Metallica, Slayer, Guns N’ Roses, Gojira and Mastodon before being capped off by two sets from Ozzy: one with his solo band, and another where he played with his Black Sabbath co-founders Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward for the first time since September 2005.
Lee appeared as part of Back To The Beginning’s all-star ‘supergroup’, playing the songs The Ultimate Sin and Shot In The Dark with ex-Megadeth bassist David Ellefson, Faith No More drummer Mike Bordin and Ozzy’s keyboardist Adam Wakeman. Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale sang The Ultimate Sin and Disturbed’s David Draiman sang Shot In The Dark.
Lee joined Ozzy’s solo band in December 1982, nine months after the Prince Of Darkness’ first guitarist Randy Rhoads died in a plane crash. He played on two of Ozzy’s solo albums, Bark At The Moon (1983) and The Ultimate Sin (1986), before being let go in 1987. In June, he expressed his shock at being asked to take part in Back To The Beginning, given he hadn’t spoken to Ozzy in “decades” at that point.
“It’s a thrill to be a part of it,” he told Guitar World. “And even more so for me to watch it. I hope Ozzy can get through it. I haven’t spoken with him or seen him in decades. I really don’t know what condition he’s in, but he deserves a final farewell performance.”
On July 22, 17 days after Back To The Beginning, Ozzy died at the age of 76 at his home in Buckinghamshire. The next day, Lee paid tribute to the singer on social media and wrote, “The finality of it hits me in waves.”
Back To The Beginning was Lee’s first large-scale public performance since he was shot outside his Las Vegas home in October 2024. Three bullets hit the guitarist, with one passing through his right forearm. The attack put him in intensive care and, during the Talk Is Jericho interview, he reveals how it continues to affect his playing.
“I went to physical therapy, where they build up the muscles and make sure they’re stretched and not as bad,” he says. “It used to be that I couldn’t open doors. That would hurt. […] Now, it doesn’t really hurt. I get some discomfort after I play guitar for a couple hours, but not a lot: just enough to guide me towards re-training my right hand on how to pick.”
Lee currently plays in Red Dragon Cartel and has released two albums with the band: Red Dragon Cartel (2013) and Patina (2018).
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