In a poignant reflection on the final chapter of Ozzy Osbourne’s legendary career, former guitarist Jake E. Lee has opened up about his emotional reunion with the Osbournes decades after his abrupt firing from the band. Speaking to Guitar World in a recent interview, Lee described the encounter at Black Sabbath’s triumphant farewell concert as a “big bucket list check-off,” marked by warmth, forgiveness, and a touching final message from the Prince of Darkness, who passed away just weeks later.
The event, dubbed Back to the Beginning, took place on July 5, 2025, at Villa Park in Birmingham – a stone’s throw from where Black Sabbath first formed in 1968. The star-studded benefit concert featured reunions, all-star collaborations, and performances by heavyweights like Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, and Guns N’ Roses, drawing over 40,000 fans for what would be the band’s – and Osbourne’s – last stand. Seated on a black throne amid his battle with Parkinson’s disease, the 76-year-old Osbourne delivered classics like “Paranoid” and “Iron Man” with original Sabbath members Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, and Bill Ward, closing out a career that redefined heavy metal. Tragically, Osbourne suffered a fatal heart attack on July 22, 2025, leaving the music world in mourning.
For Lee, who joined Osbourne’s solo band in 1982 as the successor to the late Randy Rhoads, the night was a full-circle moment. Stepping in during a turbulent time after Rhoads’ tragic plane crash death, the young guitarist infused fresh energy into the group, co-writing and performing on landmark albums Bark at the Moon (1983) and The Ultimate Sin (1986). Those records spawned enduring hits like the title tracks, “Shot in the Dark,” and “Crazy Train,” cementing Lee’s place in rock history. But his tenure ended bitterly in 1987 when he was fired over the phone by Sharon Osbourne amid disputes over songwriting credits and royalties – issues that Lee later attributed to business pressures rather than personal malice.
“I didn’t know how they’d be,” Lee admitted in the Guitar World interview, referring to his uncertainty about reconnecting after nearly four decades. “There’s no ill will; there has never been any on my part. Business is business. I don’t think anything they ever did was to try and fuck over Jake; it was always about business.”
The reconciliation began just days before the show during a massive group photoshoot on July 3 at Villa Park, organized by renowned rock photographer Ross Halfin. Lee chatted with Sharon Osbourne, who warmly escorted him to Ozzy. “I did get to talk to him,” Lee recalled. “There was a big photoshoot a couple days before the gig, and I talked with Sharon, and she brought me over to Ozzy.
The Osbournes’ reception exceeded Lee’s expectations. “They were amazing, friendly, open, welcoming and loving,” he said. “I hadn’t seen either of them in decades.” Onstage, Lee returned to the Ozzy fold for the first time since his firing, shredding through “Shot in the Dark” and “The Ultimate Sin” – performances that felt like a cathartic nod to his era-defining contributions.
As Lee boarded a flight home after the epic 11-hour spectacle, his phone buzzed with a message from Ozzy himself. “He said he was sorry he couldn’t spend more time with me,” Lee shared. “And he said that when he got back to LA, he’d shoot me a text and maybe we could get together and shoot the shit for a while. Everything’s cool. I’m glad it’s resolved and everybody still likes each other.”
The text, now a bittersweet keepsake, underscored the mutual respect that had endured. Lee, who went on to front Badlands and Red Dragon Cartel after leaving Ozzy, emphasized the closure it brought. “It was always about business,” he reflected, echoing Osbourne’s own later acknowledgment of Lee’s riff-writing on “Bark at the Moon. Despite the acrimonious split – which Lee once blamed partly on bassist Phil Soussan – he harbors no grudges, crediting the experience with sharpening his skills. “It was a do-or-die moment,” he told Guitar World. “I do see how I got more focused and better at my craft with Ozzy. I should have thanked him for that, and during my last talk with Ozzy, I did.”
For fans, Lee’s story adds a layer of humanity to the Osbourne legacy – a reminder that even in the chaotic world of rock ‘n’ roll, old wounds can heal. As Lee put it, the reunion was “a certain amount of closure,” allowing him to honor his former bandmate not just as a boss, but as the enduring icon who helped launch his career. In the wake of Osbourne’s passing, Lee’s words serve as a fitting epitaph: everything is cool.
