Former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Jake E. Lee has opened up about a rare moment of stage fright during preparations for Black Sabbath’s epic final show, “Back to the Beginning,” held in July 2025 in Birmingham, England.
Despite a career filled with high-pressure performances and a stoic attitude toward the unpredictability of live music, Lee confessed that watching Extreme’s Nuno Bettencourt shred during rehearsals left him unusually anxious.
In a recent appearance on Chris Jericho’s Talk Is Jericho podcast, Lee — who has been battling arthritis and recovering from being shot three times in a 2024 incident — recounted arriving at the rehearsal venue expecting a low-key reception.
Instead, he found himself intimidated by the level of talent on display.
“It’s not really in my nature to get nervous,” Lee explained. “Whatever’s going to happen is going to happen — worrying about it doesn’t change anything. But standing there waiting for my turn, watching Nuno and the other musicians tear through their songs… I actually started getting really nervous. That was a weird feeling for me; I never do that.”
The “Back to the Beginning” event marked the emotional farewell for both Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath, featuring an all-star lineup of guests performing classic tracks. Lee joined a supergroup that included Bettencourt, Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale, and others to deliver Ozzy-era hits like “The Ultimate Sin” and “Shot in the Dark.”
His nerves were quickly eased, however, thanks to an unexpected pep talk from Anthrax bassist Frank Bello, who was standing nearby.
Bello told him, “I can’t wait to watch you play.” When Lee admitted his anxiety, Bello replied, “No, man — you’re Jake E. Lee. You could go up there and just fart, and we’d all applaud.”
The encouragement worked wonders. Once Lee hit the stage and launched into “The Ultimate Sin,” he said everything clicked back into place: “It all kicked in again, and it felt great.”
Lee received a hero’s welcome from the crowd at Villa Park, proving his enduring legacy in the Ozzy Osbourne camp despite years away from the spotlight.
The guitarist’s candid admission highlights the mutual respect among the performers at what many called the heaviest farewell party in metal history.
