Why Jake E. Lee agreed to perform at Black Sabbath’s final show even though he “hasn’t spoken with Ozzy Osbourne or seen him in decades”
With Black Sabbath’s long-awaited farewell show just around the corner, former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Jake E. Lee has opened up about why he agreed to take part despite not having spoken to the Prince of Darkness in decades.
Speaking in the latest issue of Guitar World, Lee reveals that it wasn’t Ozzy who reached out directly, but Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello, who’s serving as musical director for the all-star Back To The Beginning event.
READ MORE: “When you get to our age, things just go wrong. We’ll probably keel over after two songs!”: Ozzy Osbourne on Black Sabbath’s final show
“Tom Morello called me. He said, ‘There’s going to be a thing, an original Sabbath performance and Ozzy Osbourne’s final performance. I can’t see this going on without Jake E. Lee in there somewhere,’” he recalls.
Lee, who played on hits like Bark at the Moon and Killer of Giants during his stint with Osbourne in the ‘80s, says he’s excited about the upcoming show both as a participant and as an audience member even if he hasn’t been in contact with Ozzy for years.
“It’s a thrill to be a part of it,” he says. “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.”
“No matter how he is, or how well his singing is, he deserves to have that final farewell. I’m happy to be a part of it.”
Taking place on 5 July in Birmingham’s Villa Park, the one-day Sabbath-headlined show will be preceded by Osbourne’s own mini set and supported by metal heavyweights like Metallica, Pantera, Slayer, Gojira, and Anthrax. The concert will also be available as a pay-per-view livestream for £24.99 for fans around the world.
Meanwhile, Wolfgang Van Halen earlier this week revealed that he’s no longer appearing at Black Sabbath’s farewell gig due to prior touring commitments with Creed.
“I wouldn’t be able to pull it off – unfortunately. I’m very excited to watch it, but I unfortunately had to back out,” the guitarist told WRIF Detroit.
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
