Former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Jake E. Lee has opened up about finally burying the hatchet with Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, nearly four decades after his abrupt 1987 firing, describing their recent reunion as warm, loving, and long overdue.
The reconciliation took place just days before Black Sabbath’s emotional farewell concert in Birmingham in July 2025, an event made even more poignant by Ozzy Osbourne’s passing only weeks later.
In a new interview with Guitar World, Lee, who played on the classic Ozzy albums Bark at the Moon (1983) and The Ultimate Sin (1986), admitted he wasn’t sure what to expect after decades of distance.
“There’s no ill will; there has never been any on my part,” Lee said. “Business is business. I never felt they were trying to screw over Jake specifically; it was always about what was best for the Ozzy brand. I honestly didn’t know how they’d be with me after all this time, but they were amazing, friendly, open, welcoming and loving.”
The guitarist revealed that Sharon personally brought him over to Ozzy during a pre-show photoshoot.
“I did get to talk to him,” Lee recalled. “Sharon brought me over to Ozzy, and it was really nice.”
After the historic “Back to the Beginning” concert, where Lee joined the all-star lineup to perform “Shot in the Dark” and “The Ultimate Sin,” he received a heartfelt text from Ozzy on the flight home.
“He apologized for not having more time with me at the show,” Lee said. “He told me that when he got back to L.A. he’d text me and maybe we could get together and just shoot the shit for a while. Everything’s cool. I’m glad it’s resolved and everybody still likes each other.”
For Lee, the experience provided a profound sense of closure.
“There’s a certain amount of closure now,” he admitted. “For years, in the back of my head, it was like, ‘I hope I get to see Ozzy one more time.’ I would’ve hated for the last time we spoke to have been in 1987. I just wanted to tell him I’m grateful for the opportunity he gave me.”
Fans have praised Lee’s gracious attitude, with many calling him a “class act” and a “gentleman” for harboring no bitterness despite past disputes over songwriting credits and his relative absence from Ozzy’s official history in documentaries and retrospectives.
With Ozzy now gone, Lee’s final reunion and the late singer’s kind final message have taken on an even deeper significance, marking a peaceful and affectionate end to one of hard rock’s most celebrated yet complicated guitarist–frontman partnerships.
