“I’m not mentioned much in documentaries and things about Ozzy”: Jake E. Lee felt like a “forgotten footnote” in Ozzy Obsourne’s legacy – until Back to the Beginning
He may be one of the most inventive guitarists to ever stand beside Ozzy Osbourne, but Jake E. Lee has long felt overlooked when it comes to the Prince of Darkness’s storied career.
Now, the 68-year-old musician admits that taking part in Osbourne’s farewell show, Back to the Beginning, made him feel “special” after years of being treated like a “forgotten footnote”.
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Speaking on Fozzy frontman Chris Jericho’s Talk Is Jericho podcast, Lee reflects on the emotional week leading up to the star-studded event.
“It was a great week for me,” says the guitarist, whose stint in Osbourne’s solo band lasted from 1982 to 1987. “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.”
Lee says that for decades, his contributions to Osbourne’s catalogue – most notably on Bark at the Moon and The Ultimate Sin – have often gone unacknowledged: “I’m not mentioned much in documentaries and things about Ozzy,” he notes. “At the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, you know, not a photo.”
Which was why the invitation to join Back to the Beginning came as a pleasant surprise. According to Lee, the call came from none other than Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello, who served as the event’s musical director.
“When Tom called, I didn’t know why,” Lee recalls. “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!”
Besides being a reunion of legends and Ozzy’s final show before his death just weeks later, Back to the Beginning also marked Lee’s first major public performance after he was shot outside his Las Vegas home in October 2024. Three bullets struck him during the attack – one passing through his right forearm – and the guitarist spent time in intensive care recovering. Now, months later, Jake reveals he’s still rebuilding strength in his picking hand.
“I went to physical therapy, where they build up the muscles and make sure they’re stretched and not as bad,” he explains. “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.”
The post “I’m not mentioned much in documentaries and things about Ozzy”: Jake E. Lee felt like a “forgotten footnote” in Ozzy Obsourne’s legacy – until Back to the Beginning appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
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