Jake E. Lee: Beating the odds, reinventing his technique and reconnecting with Ozzy at Back to the Beginning

This interview was conducted shortly before Ozzy Osbourne’s passing. Here, Jake E. Lee opens up about guitars, recovery, creative rebirth, and the emotional closure he finally achieved with his former frontman.

A long quiet spell — and the unexpected restart

After the launch of Red Dragon Cartel and two strong albums (2014 and 2018), many assumed Jake E. Lee was back for good. But when COVID shut down touring, everything froze again.

Complicating matters further, Lee developed severe arthritis in his right hand — so severe he was essentially out of cartilage. Playing became painful, but that wasn’t the toughest chapter. In late 2024, he was attacked near his Las Vegas home and sustained multiple gunshot injuries.

Following months of physical therapy, he recovered well. None of the wounds were permanently disabling, although his left arm didn’t feel the same — making guitar work noticeably harder.
He jokes: “Pain I can deal with. That’s why someone invented alcohol,” but the journey was clearly difficult.

Stepping back — and rediscovering old guitars

Once COVID stopped Red Dragon Cartel’s tour, Lee decided to step away entirely. He rested, focused on therapy and — almost accidentally — began pulling vintage instruments out of their cases.

He reconnected with his SGs, his ’58 Les Paul, and a variety of hollowbodies and semi-hollows.
He’s writing music again, though not recording his own material yet. He did, however, track a blues solo for Las Vegas guitarist Stoney Curtis.

And most notably — he took part in Back to the Beginning, the monumental July 5 event in Birmingham where Ozzy reunited for the last time with Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward.

Returning to the Ozzy universe

Lee was Ozzy’s guitarist from 1982 to 1987, appearing on Bark at the Moon and The Ultimate Sin.
At Back to the Beginning, he joined the first “supergroup” assembled by Tom Morello.

The lineup was astonishing:
Lzzy Hale, Mike Bordin, Nuno Bettencourt, David Ellefson, Adam Wakeman, David Draiman, Whitfield Crane, and II from Sleep Token.

On YouTube you can see him tear through The Ultimate Sin, Shot in the Dark, Sweet Leaf, Believer and Changes (the last featuring Yungblud).

Lee calls this new stage of his life a rebirth: his mind knows every move, but his hands must relearn them.

Pain, technique changes and unexpected inspiration

Lee has stepped away from guitar before, but never for this long. Now he’s rebuilding technique — switching to lighter picks and ultralight strings (7s), like Billy Gibbons, Tony Iommi and Brian May.

“It’s almost like learning guitar all over again,” he says. “Except I know exactly what to do — I just need my hands to cooperate.”

How the historic show unfolded

Things weren’t smooth backstage — delays, tuning issues, mixed signals. But when he finally walked out, the arena was already chanting his name, led by Nuno Bettencourt.

“It hit me like a wave. I’m shocked I didn’t trip,” Lee says.
Was he perfectly in tune? Maybe not.
Was it perfect anyway? Absolutely.

Guitars of the rebirth

He’s been digging through his massive collection: SGs, hollowbodies, the ’58 Les Paul.
For the Birmingham show he played a custom purple Charvel, a color he’d been pushing the company to revive.

It’s a special guitar: Gibson scale, jumbo-to-thin fret transition, roasted maple neck, lightweight ash body.

Backstage, Kirk Hammett let him play the legendary Greeny Les Paul — and Lee fell in love instantly.

“It sings. I didn’t want to hand it back.”

Amplifiers and gear

He used his Friedman IR and other signature equipment to ensure consistency despite relying on rental Marshalls at the venue.

Review on Friedman Amplification - All new Jake E Lee 50-Watt Head featuring Jordan Ziff
 

Reconnecting with Ozzy — at last

At a photoshoot before the concert, Lee spoke to Sharon and Ozzy for the first time in decades.
There was no bitterness — just goodwill.

After the show, Ozzy even texted him, apologizing for not talking more and suggesting they meet in Los Angeles.

For Lee, this was major emotional closure:
“I didn’t want 1987 to be our last real conversation. I needed to thank him. And I’m glad I did.”

What comes next?

He still writes riffs — often right before falling asleep.
He wants to tour again with Red Dragon Cartel to finish what COVID interrupted.

He enjoys guest appearances too: “Friends will be honest if I play terribly — that helps.”