In a candid new interview that’s sending ripples through the heavy metal community, legendary guitarist Jake E. Lee has opened up about his successor in Ozzy Osbourne’s band, Zakk Wylde, calling him not just an “incredible guitar player” but the ideal long-term partner for the Prince of Darkness. The 67-year-old shredder, fresh off a harrowing recovery from last year’s shooting, also dropped a bombshell: despite his ongoing health struggles, he’d jump at the chance for a joint tour with Wylde in 2025—though Wylde’s packed schedule might stand in the way.
Lee, best known for his blistering work on Ozzy’s 1983’s Bark at the Moon and 1986’s The Ultimate Sin, has long been reflective about his time in the Madman’s lineup. Stepping in after the tragic death of Randy Rhoads, Lee helped define Ozzy’s mid-’80s sound with riff-heavy anthems like “Bark at the Moon” and “Shot in the Dark.” But it was Wylde who took the reins in 1987, launching a decades-spanning collaboration that’s produced classics like No Rest for the Wicked (1988) and No More Tears (1991).
“He’s an incredible guitar player,” Lee enthused in the interview with Tone-Talk, echoing sentiments he’s shared in past chats but infusing them with fresh warmth. “I think he ended up being a better fit with Ozzy than I ever was.” Lee elaborated on the synergy, pointing to Wylde’s raw energy and innovative flair—think the slide guitar wizardry on “No More Tears,” a trick Lee admitted he’d never have considered. “Kudos to Zakk; he did a great job. Only he could have pulled that off.”
The praise comes at a poignant time for Lee, who reconciled with Osbourne earlier this year during the emotional Back to the Beginning shows—a Black Sabbath farewell that saw the Prince of Darkness reflect on his guitarists’ legacies. Osbourne himself has ranked his axemen fondly, crediting Rhoads for igniting his solo career, Lee for bridging the glam-metal era, and Wylde for injecting unyielding grit. “Zakk’s been like a son to me,” Osbourne once quipped, a bond that’s endured through health scares on both sides.
But Lee’s optimism shines brightest when he turns to the future. Despite battling the aftermath of a near-fatal shooting in October 2024—where he was hit three times (forearm, foot, and back, fracturing a rib and nicking a lung) in what police described as a random act of violence—he’s “on the mend” and eyeing the stage. “Despite my health, I would want to still do a tour with Zakk Wylde this 2025,” Lee revealed, his voice laced with that signature Lee’s swagger. “It’d be epic—two Ozzy vets trading licks, no egos, just pure fire.”
Fans are buzzing at the prospect, with social media lighting up over hypothetical setlists blending Lee’s melodic fury (“Flying High Again”) with Wylde’s berserker pinch harmonics (“Mama, I’m Coming Home”). However, logistics could dash the dream: Wylde’s 2025 slate is stacked. His Black Sabbath tribute act, Zakk Sabbath, kicks off the “King of the Monstrous Tour” in late 2024, rolling into 2025 with over 30 U.S. dates, hitting spots like San Francisco’s The Fillmore (Dec. 1, 2024, spilling into January) and Sacramento’s Ace of Spades (Nov. 1, 2025). Add Pantera reunion gigs and Black Label Society whispers, and Wylde’s calendar looks like a Les Paul fretboard—crowded and complex.
Wylde, ever the diplomat, has historically tipped his hat to Lee. In a 1989 Guitar World sit-down, the then-21-year-old Jersey native acknowledged the “friendly shadows” of predecessors like Rhoads and Lee, vowing to carve his own path. “Jake brought that polished edge Ozzy needed post-Randy,” Wylde later reflected in a 2025 Guitar Player feature. No word yet from Wylde’s camp on Lee’s tour pitch, but sources close to the guitarist say he’s “flattered” and open to collabs—perhaps a one-off festival slot if schedules align.
Lee’s resilience is the real riff here. Post-shooting, he dodged surgery for carpal tunnel (a pre-incident woe) and has been defying odds, even jamming at intimate Vegas gigs with his band Red Dragon Cartel. “I feel relatively very lucky,” he posted on social media days after the attack, crediting his dog Coco for moral support. Ozzy, who hadn’t seen Lee in 37 years, called the news “shocking” and another “senseless act of gun violence.” Their Back to the Beginning reunion? “That meant everything,” Lee said. “No hard feelings—just metal family.”
As 2025 looms, Lee’s words remind us why these icons endure: not rivalry, but respect. Whether a full tour materializes or not, the idea alone has fans headbanging in anticipation. In Lee’s immortal riff: Why not bark at the moon together one more time?
