{"id":256982,"date":"2025-11-11T15:08:08","date_gmt":"2025-11-11T15:08:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/256982\/"},"modified":"2025-11-11T15:08:08","modified_gmt":"2025-11-11T15:08:08","slug":"jake-e-lee-explains-why-he-felt-like-a-footnote-in-ozzy-osbournes-legacy-until-back-to-the-beginning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/256982\/","title":{"rendered":"Jake E. Lee explains why he felt like a \u201cfootnote\u201d in Ozzy Osbourne\u2019s legacy until Back To The Beginning"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jake E. Lee says that he felt like a \u201cfootnote\u201d in Ozzy Osbourne<\/a>\u2019s legacy until he got to perform at the singer\u2019s retirement show.<\/p>\n

During a new interview with the Talk Is Jericho podcast, hosted by pro-wrestler and Fozzy<\/a> frontman Chris Jericho, the guitarist explains that taking part in Ozzy\u2019s swansong, Back To The Beginning<\/a>, made him feel \u201cspecial\u201d after years of considering himself a \u201cforgotten\u201d part of the heavy metal<\/a> legend\u2019s career.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a great week for me,\u201d says the 68-year-old. \u201cMaybe one of the best weeks of my life. I came in there feeling kind of like a footnote, maybe even an almost forgotten footnote: \u2018Oh, yeah, we\u2019ll throw him in there too.\u2019 But everybody treated me so respectfully and [there was] encouragement and support from everybody. It made me feel special.\u201d<\/p>\n

When asked why he felt like a footnote before the gig, Lee continues: \u201cI\u2019m not mentioned much in documentaries and things about Ozzy. At the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, you know, not a photo.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u2019s musical director, Rage Against The Machine<\/a> guitarist Tom Morello, who made the call.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen Tom called, I didn\u2019t know why,\u201d he remembers. \u201cI\u2019d never met him before, but when he called me he said, \u2018I can\u2019t imagine doing this without you.\u2019 Hmm, really? Cool! I\u2019m in! I mean, if for no other reason than just to be there for Black Sabbath<\/a>: all original [members], final show. I\u2019d do it just for that. I\u2019d go tech for somebody!\u201d<\/p>\n

Back To The Beginning took place at Birmingham\u2019s Villa Park football stadium, a short distance from where Ozzy grew up in Aston. The all-day show featured such support acts as Metallica<\/a>, Slayer<\/a>, Guns N\u2019 Roses<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n

Sign up below to get the latest from Metal Hammer, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n

Lee appeared as part of Back To The Beginning\u2019s all-star \u2018supergroup\u2019, playing the songs The Ultimate Sin and Shot In The Dark with ex-Megadeth<\/a> bassist David Ellefson, Faith No More drummer Mike Bordin and Ozzy\u2019s keyboardist Adam Wakeman. Halestorm<\/a>\u2019s Lzzy Hale sang The Ultimate Sin and Disturbed\u2019s David Draiman sang Shot In The Dark.<\/p>\n

Lee joined Ozzy\u2019s solo band in December 1982, nine months after the Prince Of Darkness\u2019 first guitarist Randy Rhoads died in a plane crash. He played on two of Ozzy\u2019s 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\u2019t spoken to Ozzy in \u201cdecades\u201d at that point.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a thrill to be a part of it,\u201d he told Guitar World. \u201cAnd even more so for me to watch it. I hope Ozzy can get through it. I haven\u2019t spoken with him or seen him in decades. I really don\u2019t know what condition he\u2019s in, but he deserves a final farewell performance.\u201d<\/p>\n

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, \u201cThe finality of it hits me in waves.\u201d<\/p>\n

Back To The Beginning was Lee\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cI went to physical therapy, where they build up the muscles and make sure they\u2019re stretched and not as bad,\u201d he says. \u201cIt used to be that I couldn\u2019t open doors. That would hurt. [\u2026] Now, it doesn\u2019t 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lee currently plays in Red Dragon Cartel and has released two albums with the band: Red Dragon Cartel (2013) and Patina (2018).<\/p>\n

Talk Is Jericho: Jake E. Lee – The Untold Ozzy Osbourne Stories & Near-Death Shooting – YouTube
\n\"Talk<\/p>\n

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