Former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Gus G has shared insights into why the Prince of Darkness long avoided performing material from the Jake E. Lee era, attributing it to Ozzy’s personal struggles during that period. In a recent interview with BraveWords, the Greek shredder — who played in Ozzy’s band from 2009 to 2017 and co-wrote tracks for the 2010 album Scream — also addressed his notable absence from “Back to the Beginning,” the star-studded July 2025 festival in Birmingham that marked Ozzy’s final solo performance and Black Sabbath’s last show with its original lineup.
Gus G expressed no bitterness about not being invited to the historic event, which featured guests like Jake E. Lee, Zakk Wylde, Tom Morello (who served as musical director), and members of the classic Black Sabbath roster.
“No, I didn’t know about that,” Gus said when asked if he expected to participate. “I was just not in touch at all. I had no idea. They brought in Tom Morello as musical director, and I guess he called the people he thought should be on the list. I guess I wasn’t on the list, so it’s okay. I’m not sad about it.”
As a lifelong metal fan, Gus emphasized his gratitude for his time with Ozzy: “I’m happy it happened… I got my fair share of jamming with Ozzy. How many people can say that? So I have no complaints, man. I’m actually happy that somebody like Jake E. Lee was back.”
On the topic of Jake E. Lee-era songs — from albums like Bark at the Moon (1983) and The Ultimate Sin (1986) — being rarely played live for decades, Gus revealed it stemmed from Ozzy’s difficult mindset at the time.
Ozzy “kind of touched on it again a little bit” during Gus’s tenure in the band, the guitarist recalled. He personally encouraged Ozzy to revisit the material by praising The Ultimate Sin: “I remember one day going up to him and telling him how much I loved [the album]. And he was like, ‘I don’t like the production of that, and I wasn’t in a good mood, in a good state of mind.'”
Gus pushed back gently, highlighting tracks like “Killer of Giants” as hidden gems. “I think he probably went back and listened to it,” he said. “A few days later, I saw it back on the setlist.”
Gus’s comments come months after the emotional “Back to the Beginning” event at Villa Park, which celebrated Black Sabbath’s legacy and raised funds for charity before Ozzy’s passing shortly afterward. While Gus wasn’t part of the onstage reunion, he remains proud of his contributions to Ozzy’s catalog and thrilled that fans finally saw Jake E. Lee reclaim his spotlight.
