Jake E. Lee, the guitar legend who electrified Ozzy Osbourne’s Bark at the Moon and The Ultimate Sin, made a stunning comeback at this year’s Back to the Beginning event, a star-studded tribute to Osbourne’s legacy. Stepping onto the stage curated by Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello, Lee was greeted by a crowd chanting his name, led by Extreme’s Nuno Bettencourt. “It was overwhelming,” Lee told Guitarist. “I’m surprised I didn’t trip and fall down.” More than the applause, though, the event allowed Lee to mend his long-standing rift with Osbourne before the icon’s passing on July 22, 2025—a reconciliation that meant the world to him.
Lee’s journey to that stage was anything but easy. After a quiet stretch following the 1993 dissolution of his beloved Badlands, Lee roared back with Red Dragon Cartel, dropping acclaimed albums in 2014 and 2018. But COVID-19 halted the band’s momentum in 2020, and Lee faced graver challenges: crippling arthritis in his right hand, leaving him with “basically no cartilage,” and a near-fatal shooting in October 2024 while walking his dog in Las Vegas. Hit multiple times, including in his left forearm, Lee endured intense pain and nerve damage that threatened his playing. “I can live with some pain,” he quipped. “That’s why they created alcohol.”
Through rigorous physical therapy, Lee has defied the odds. The shooting left his left hand numb, but sensation is returning, and his arthritic right wrist is improving with strengthening exercises and steroid shots. Surgery to fuse his wrist bones—a procedure that would’ve locked his wrist—was narrowly avoided. “My left hand is a little weak, so lately I’ve been playing with lighter strings to force a softer touch,” he explained, showcasing the adaptability that’s defined his career.
During his hiatus, Lee leaned into his passion for vintage guitars, tinkering with SGs, a ’58 Les Paul, and various hollowbodies. He’s also writing new music and recently laid down a bluesy solo for an upcoming album by Las Vegas guitarist Stoney Curtis of Count’s 77. “I’m dipping my toe back in,” Lee said. “It’s refreshing. It clears your mind.”
The Back to the Beginning performance, held July 5, 2025, in England, was a high-water mark. Lee joined a supergroup featuring Lzzy Hale (Halestorm), Mike Bordin (Faith No More), Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme), David Ellefson (ex-Megadeth), Adam Wakeman (Ozzy), David Draiman (Disturbed), Whitfield Crane (Ugly Kid Joe), and II (Sleep Token). It was his most prominent gig since his Ozzy days, and the emotional weight of reconnecting with Osbourne—who died weeks later—hit hard. “I always wanted to end things on a friendly note,” Lee said. “I got to do that.”
Lee’s resilience shines through. After years of limited playing, he’s rediscovering his groove, adapting to physical setbacks with grit and humor. The crowd’s roar in England, chanting his name, was a reminder of his enduring legacy. As he continues to heal and create, Lee’s proving that neither arthritis nor gunshots can silence his six-string soul.
