Former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Jake E. Lee has reignited a long-simmering rivalry with Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx, delivering sharp-witted barbs during a recent appearance on Chris Jericho’s Talk Is Jericho podcast.
The episode, titled “Shot In The Dark – The Resurrection of Jake E. Lee” and released on November 5, 2025, primarily focused on Lee’s recovery from a 2024 shooting incident, his return to the stage at Black Sabbath’s farewell concert, and his tenure with Ozzy Osbourne. However, the conversation took a humorous yet pointed turn when Lee reflected on his guitar technique post-injury, joking that on bad days, his playing “sounded like Nikki Sixx playing bass.
This lighthearted jab quickly escalated into a broader critique of Sixx. Lee revisited a decades-old claim that Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee once attempted to recruit him to replace Mick Mars in Mötley Crüe during the 1984 tour, a story Sixx vehemently denied in 2019 as a “make believe” tale from “washed-up” attention-seekers. Lee stood firm, citing corroboration from bassist Bob Daisley and Mars himself.
Unleashing a quip he admitted to “sitting on” for years, Lee mocked Sixx’s dramatic persona: “It’s like he thinks he’s in a Tim Burton movie, calling me a shadowy worm. Which makes sense because he dresses like Beetlejuice, and he plays bass like Edward Scissorhands!
The comments rapidly went viral, with clips circulating on social media and drawing amused reactions from fans. As of November 9, 2025, Sixx has not publicly responded to Lee’s latest remarks.
The exchange highlights an enduring tension rooted in the 1980s hair-metal scene, where touring camaraderie between Ozzy Osbourne’s band and Mötley Crüe often blurred into rivalry. Lee, known for his work on Osbourne classics like Bark at the Moon and The Ultimate Sin, has occasionally referenced the era’s anecdotes, including disputing infamous tales from Mötley Crüe’s biography The Dirt.
While the feud has flared periodically—most notably around the 2019 release of The Dirt film—Lee’s recent survival of a near-fatal shooting appears to have emboldened his candid style, blending humor with unfiltered hindsight on rock’s glory days.
